ILA 2008: Aeroflot demands may delay Superjet service

Sukhoi president Victor Subbotin confirms that the launch customer for its new Superjet 100 aircraft will be Aeroflot, with deliveries commencing at the end of the first quarter or the second quarter of 2009.

But industry sources suggest that the first Superjets may go to either Armavia or Financial Leasing and not Aeroflot due to that company specifying a “complicated systems and cabin specification”. Both Armavia and Financial Leasing specified factory-standard equipment and interiors.

Sukhoi now has to push the aircraft through the 600-flight test programme and certification as quickly as possible to meet the original schedule and avoid possible penalties.

Subbotin says the company currently has orders for 73 aircraft, from airlines Aeroflot (30), Financial Leasing Company (10), Dal' avia (6), AiRUnion (15), ItAli (10) and Armavia (2).

He adds: “We expect to significantly increase the number of orders received by end of this year as the flight test programme develops and potential customers see the Superjet's potential - Aeroflot is expected to place orders for a further 15 aircraft.”

The prototype SuperJet 100 has now completed two test flights at Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The first on 19 May had to be cut to 67 minutes due to poor weather. A subsequent flight lasted two and a half hours.

During that flight the undercarriage was retracted and a top speed of 450km/h and an altitude of 3,000 metres were reached.

“There were no failures of problems with any aspect of the aircraft or its engines,” Subbotin says. “Our test pilots were very impressed with the aircraft's performance, handling, controllability and systems performance.”

The flight test programme will continue and three other prototypes will join the original. “The second aircraft is 95% finished,” says Subbotin. “And the third is in final assembly. We expect a new aircraft to join the test programme each month at the ends of July, August and September.”

All four prototypes will be the Superjet 100/95 variant. Subbotin confirms that a 75-seat variant won't be built until the company has received sufficient orders. “The market will dictate when that happens, he says.”

Sukhoi is also looking at the feasibility of a stretched version using the same airframe and engine.

Subbotin confirms that the Superjet won't be at the Farnborough show in July, but will be at Le Bourget the following year. “Our test programme is just to intensive for us to release an aircraft for 10 days,” he says.