Armenian airline Armavia is set to resume operations with Sukhoi’s Superjet 100 after the first full production example of the new narrowbody (S/N 95007) left Zhukovsky airfield near Moscow to be delivered to the carrier’s headquarters at Yerevan’s Zvatnots Airport on October 2. According to Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC), the Russian airframer has settled a financial dispute with Armavia, which will now restart SSJ100 operations under a new lease.

The airline is still negotiating with SCAC over the terms under which it might take a second SSJ100 (S/N 95021). The operator was due to take delivery of this aircraft in June this year but refused to do so after disputing the lease terms set by Russian bank VEB. SCAC has now confirmed that it will be providing an initial six-month lease for the aircraft, after which the longer-term financial arrangements might be restructured following further discussion with VEB.

Armavia began operations with its first SSJ100 soon after it was delivered in April last year but then had to halt flights after finding that the new aircraft required maintenance work to reinforce some load-bearing structures.