The operation of Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft in Russia is under threat after the departure of the French manufacturer of SaM146 engines, Safran, from the country, since replacing engines with domestic PD-8s, including the cost of turbines, is comparable to the residual value of the entire aircraft, or will cost even more. This was stated to Vedomosti by the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yuri Slyusar at the civil aviation infrastructure exhibition NAIS 2023.
According to him, it is technically possible, but the airlines and the state have not resolved economic issues.
“With the residual value of the aircraft, for example, 500 million rubles, it will be necessary to buy new components for a comparable amount, if not more.”
The airlines also want the Russian Federation to learn how to overhaul the SaM146, the head of the UAC noted. Now Russian carriers have 150 SSJ100 aircraft. Their decommissioning should be synchronized with the “decommissioning of engines”, while several dozen SaM146 engines are still in reserve. They are not planned to be installed on imported SSJ New, they are needed to maintain the current fleet, Slyusar explained.
The SaM146 engines are a joint project of the French concern Safran and the Russian NPO Saturn, which is part of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) of Rostec. Until March 2022, they were produced and serviced by the PowerJet joint venture in Rybinsk, but the repair of the hot part of the engine was carried out only in France. Such engines were installed only on the SSJ100, now they plan to replace them with domestic PD-8s from UEC-Saturn, which has not yet been certified. At the end of 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov admitted in an interview with the publication that the replacement of SaM146 with Russian PD-8s is not yet provided.
The Russian aviation industry has been in dire straits since the war with Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions that effectively locked foreign aircraft leased by Russian companies inside the country. Their repair, as well as Superjet repair, is impossible due to high reliance on imported parts, with foreign owners demanding the return of the aircraft at the threat of ships. The Insider drew attention to the fact that since mid-2022, the number of accidents in Russian aviation has been growing, including landing gear incidents. For more information about the unpreparedness of the Russian Federation for sanctions and the lack of quality control of parts, follow the link .