Sukhoi delivered the 10th Superjet 100 on 28 July to Russian carrier Aeroflot, but output remains well below the planned rate for 2012.
The fourth SSJ100 delivered since 1 January is expected to fly from the Ulyanovsk final assembly facility to Moscow on 2 August, where Aeroflot can prepare the aircraft for entering service.
The 10th overall delivery was described by Sukhoi as a key milestone as the programme attempts to ramp up long-delayed deliveries.
"Our experience gained in the process of the aircraft acceptance by the airlines is definitely useful to facilitate the planned growth of the SSJ100 deliveries," Sukhoi Commercial Aircraft Company president Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk says in a statement.
But the rate of deliveries has not visibly improved in the second year of production. Sukhoi planned to deliver 15 SSJ100s in 2011, but handed over only six to two airlines. The company is now working to deliver 23 aircraft this year, but so far has delivered only four.
Some deliveries have been delayed by customer problems. Launch customer Armavia received their first aircraft a year ago, but the Armenian carrier was unable to take delivery of a second aircraft on 23 June.
Sukhoi also has struggled to keep the SSJ100 supply chain on pace. In June, the airframer convened a supplier summit to implore its suppliers to quicken the pace of component deliveries.
Citing possible doubts about the programme following the 9 May crash of the SSJ100 in Indonesia, Prisyazhnyuk told his suppliers that the ramp up is necessary to restore confidence in the programme.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
