Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (Zhukovsky) could supply the Crimean government with aircraft should it adopt a proposal for an airline put forward by Sukhoi parent, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).

Based out of Simferopol, the carrier would operate an initial fleet of six SSJ 100/95s serving 14 destinations throughout Russia, though this will grow to 36 in the long run.

"A total of RUB1.45 billion (USD24.45 million) will be required to implement the project. The timeframe for the project to turn profitable - no less than 3 years while the initial start-up period will roughly 8 months," Sergei Tourik, a UAC spokesman, said during a meeting with Crimean politician Sergei Aksyonov.

The airline will help facilitate the region's depressed tourism industry that has struggled to recover from Russia's unilateral annexation last year. In a bid to revive the industry, Moscow has offered airlines substantial subsidies in return for their serving Crimea with Groznyavia (Grozny), Orenair (Orenburg), and Red Wings Airlines (WZ, Moscow Domodedovo) among the first to do so.