Superjet Scrutinized after Board Changes at UAC/Rostec

Russia’s top priority now lies with the MC-21, leaving the SSJ100 with a limited budget.

Some 75 percent of all Sukhoi SSJ100s still flying operate in Russia. (Photo: SCAC)

May 21, 2019

The Sukhoi Superjet program faces more scrutiny following a reshuffle of the board at United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in late April and appointment on May 13 of Rostec director Anatoly Serdyukov as the board’s chairman. This month Ravil Khakimov became president of both Irkut and Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) and took on the task of creating a single entity within the UAC corporate structure to encompass development, production, sales, and aftersales support of civil aircraft. The changes take place in the context of President Putin’s transfer of a 92 percent stake in UAC to Rostec in October 2018. Rostec leadership and its new appointees in UAC consider the MC-21 the top priority for investment, leaving other programs, notably the Superjet, with a limited budget.

SCAC has built more than 180 SSJ100s, but dozens sit in storage. Of the active airplanes, 75 percent operate in Russia. About 66 percent fly with carriers on operational lease terms and 18 percent on financial leases. Operators themselves own most of the remaining 16 percent. In 2018 and early 2019 a number of service bulletins addressed many of the type’s weak points discovered since entry into service in 2008. UAC claims that the commercially operated SSJ100s subject to the bulletins routinely log 200 to 220 flight hours a month, while fleet leaders register some 300 to 350 hours. According to a recently updated UAC forecast, airlines will need 2,000 aircraft in the class of the SSJ100 over the next 20 years, including 200 in Russia.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.