Russia is a big market for Bombardier, a very big one indeed - but at the same time a complex place to do business where some opportunities are not as open as others.

For example, Bombardier is selling a lot of aircraft to Russian customers. The best-selling types in Russia are Learjets and Challengers, and Bombardier's Salesman of the Year has been its man in Russia for the past two years running. Russia is not an emerging market any longer, says Judith Moreton - it has emerged.

At the same time, Moreton notes, "Skyjet International can't do much to support sales in Russia, because it's not really a charter business. There are lots of Bombardier aircraft flying there, but they are flown by owners who don't make them available for charter. There is a lot of European traffic in and out of Russia, and German operators are doing very nicely indeed out of that because Russian customers buy their aircraft and then keep them for themselves."

Russia remains a two-city market, with virtually all operations centered on Moscow and St. Petersburg. Bombardier Skyjet International is still the only block charter operator working in Russia, says Moreton, but her company's attention is more focused on the true emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia and now Africa, where Skyjet International sees great potential for new aircraft sales.

Russian customers also pose some very specific problems for charter operators, and stories of their "quirks" are legion. "All customers are demanding," says Moreton, "but Russian customers are very demanding. They want their own aircraft, with their own crews and a level of personal service that can sometimes be hard to deliver. It is not unusual to be asked to provide certain types of hostesses on board. It is not unusual to have your destination changed at the last minute, even while in the air."

"Also, you find that customers want to pay in cash. They want to pay in cash all the time. And we don't take cash."