Rostec denied the reduction of the fleet of SSJ-100 aircraft

The forecast for the reduction of the SSJ-100 fleet by several times by 2030 was made back in 2022 in order to provide for the “most negative scenarios”. In the current situation, it is no longer relevant, reported at Rostec.

“Today is May 2023 and it is already obvious that this will not happen,” the state corporation said.

The press service noted that “complicated systematic work on import substitution” is underway. The possibility of remotorization of aircraft on the PD-8 is also being considered. “But we need to look at how economically feasible it is,” added Rostec.

The state corporation expressed confidence that the SaM-146 engines “will be able to fly for a long time,” since the manufacturer plans to independently service these engines.

Earlier today, Kommersant, citing a letter from the aircraft manufacturer to Irkut Corporation (part of Rostec) informedthat the company expects to reduce to 28 “old” aircraft out of more than 150 if it fails to master the repair of the hot part of foreign engines. With a positive development of events, it will be possible to save 106 liners, Irkut said.

In this regard, the company is considering the option of replacing the foreign engine in the SSJ-100 with the domestic PD-8, Kommersant wrote. Irkut told the newspaper that, according to preliminary data, air carriers are interested in this.

The Superjet uses SaM146 engines, a joint project of the French concern Safran and the Russian NPO Saturn (part of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) of Rostec). At the end of December 2022, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov in an interview with Vedomosti informedthat the replacement of SaM146 on the current generation of SSJ100 with Russian PD-8 is not yet provided.

Repair of the “hot part” SaM146 is possible only in France. Rostec previously noted that they were taking steps to master various types of repairs to these engines. In April, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that a certificate for the PD-8 engine for the SSJ 100 was expected in September of this year.