The first customers of international fame for recently put into operation SSJ and prospective МS-21 have appeared. American Delta has made an inquiry on 100 Sukhoi SuperJet 100 (SSJ), and the largest low-cost carrier - Ryanair — on 200 МS-21, Kommersant reports.

However, even if the carriers will be interested in commercial offers on Russian aircraft, the Russian jets will have to compete with the world’s largest and most famous airframer’s products.

Delta and Ryanair have forwarded their inquiries on commercial offers to UAC regarding deliveries of Russian passenger aircraft, the source in UAC reported. Delta considers acquisition of regional Sukhoi Superjets (SSJ), and Ryanair — МS-21.

The world’s largest low-cost carrier - Ryanair has already spoken about its interest to МS-21 in spring 2011. According to one of Irkut’s top-managers (Irkut Corporation is developing MS-21 aircraft), this interest has transformed in the inquiry on 200 jets.

Ryanair has denied any comments regarding its interest to Russian jets, saying that the company “is always looking for possibilities of fleet renewal and expansion”.

The inquiry on SSJ has been received by Superjet International — a joint venture between Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and Italian Alenia Aeronautica, which is responsible for sales of SSJ in Europe, Africa and USA, said Mikhail Pogosyan, president of UAC. Delta needs around 100 regional jets for development of its subsidiaries specializing on transportation inside USA, said the participants of airshow in French Le Bourget. That is why the airline has submitted the inquiries to — Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier, Japan’s Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and China’s Comac.

Delta’s press-service said that it is “unable to comment on new jets’ acquisition”. However, Embraer’s director on external relations, Carlos Kamargo has confirmed that the Brazilian airframer is preparing an offer for Delta. "It is hard to estimate competitors’ chances – everything will depend on the airline, which should take the decion by the first half of 2012",— he explained. The top-manager of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (the manufacturer of MRJ — Mitsubishi Regional Jet) refused to comment the current orders of his customer. Canadian Bombardier has underlined that Delta is currently using more than 200 Bomardier’s aircraft (mainly CRJ700 and CRJ900). "As compared with, for example, SSJ, Bombardier С-series have more range and they are more efficient", — assured Bombardier’s manager John Arone. At the same time, the Russian jet is cheaper. The list price of SSJ is $31,7 million, while the Bombardier C-series aircraft costs around $66 million, А320 Family aircraft — around $78 million, MRJ — about $40 million. Airbus has declined any comments on this matter.

However, we remind you that Delta – is not the only large foreign carrier taking interest in Sukhoi SuperJet 100.

Italian Alitalia has also intended to acquire 20-24 SSJs last year. But later the carrier has refused to close this deal in favor of Embraer.

Alitalia has decided that it is more profitable to acquire 20 Embraer aircraft, instead of 20-24 SSJs. According to the airline’s CEO, Rocco Sabelli, the main reason for cancelling the deal was the fact, that SSJ has not yet passed the certification at that time. But experts believe that the mismatch of jets actual and claimed parameters was the actual reason for cancelling the deal.

The amount of the contract between Alitalia and Sukhoi was assessed at $500 million.

The carrier has cancelled this deal two weeks after Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin have welcomed Italy’s Prime-Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Sochi and carried out an inspection of new-built SSJ together.

After that Vladimir Putin has stated that Italy is ready to acquire these jets, but in the end even the Putin’s statement has not been able to convince Italy.

It has also been declared during Farnborough 2010 airshow that Lufthansa has been taking interest in Sukhoi SuperJet 100, but this information has not been confirmed.