Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot said on Tuesday it will begin regular commercial flights of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in mid-May.
The company has placed orders for 40 models of the aircraft, which will initially conduct flights between Moscow and the central Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.
The Superjet, championed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, is designed to replace the Soviet-era mid-range planes that entered service in the 1960s and 80s.
Sukhoi is seeking to sell at least 800 planes, more than half to foreign airlines.
It currently has over 120 confirmed orders, with the first Superjet to be delivered to neighboring Armenia's air carrier Armavia by the end of April.
MOSCOW, March 29 (RIA Novosti)
