Maksim covers aerospace developments in Central Asia for Aviation Week. He has worked for Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine and was in charge of several ATO sister aerospace publications after working for the Moscow-based CAST defense think tank.
Maksim has a degree in international relations from MGIMO University, Moscow.
The basic version of the aircraft will carry 280 passengers over 12,000 km (7,500 mi.), making it somewhat comparable to the Airbus A330-900, but with a wider body suiting nine-abreast economy seating.
Representatives of Irkut Corp. confirmed that the first prototype has been moved to the flight-test center at the company’s facility in the Siberian city of Irkutsk.
