Mexico's Interjet has grounded four Sukhoi Superjet 100s and is cannibalising the aircraft for parts to keep its remaining 18 SSJ100s operational, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The aircraft are being stored in hangars in and around Mexico City, reports Bloomberg.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that of the four SSJ100s in storage, at least three have been in storage since as early as May 2017. The four aircraft bear registrations XA-JLG, XA-JLV, XA-PBA and XA-BVM. They were delivered to Interjet between 2013 and 2015.
Interjet and Superjet International did not respond to questions for comment.
Interjet's chief executive Jose Luis Garza had previously acknowledged engine issues on the airline's SSJ100s, saying that the PowerJet SaM146 powerplants require additional ground maintenance. However, he downplayed the issues in November 2017, characterising the engine issues as more of a "nuisance" than a serious concern.
Garza then referred to the aircraft as a "money-making machine", pointing out that the airline had negotiated a "sweet deal" for its SSJ100 order, with the capital cost of 10 aircraft about equal with the pre-delivery payment for one Airbus A320 - the other type that Interjet operates.
The Mexican carrier has another eight SSJ100s on order, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
