The effect of Western sanctions on air travel in Russia has begun to hit the SSJ100 regional jet, one of the prides of the country’s aerospace industry.
Reports from the CEO of the carrier IrAero, Yuri Lapin, to the governor of the Irkutsk region, where the company is based, revealed that the its fleet of SuperJets already suffers from a lack of spare parts for the Powerjet SaM146 turbofan, which equips the aircraft.
Although it is manufactured by NPO Saturn, the engine is based on the CFM56 and has technical support from Safran. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the French manufacturer has not sent components to the country because of economic sanctions.
IrAero has 11 SSJ100s in its fleet of which only six would be in service, according to Planespotters. Three other operators of the 100-seat regional jet have also reported problems keeping their fleets in service, according to Russian media.
Last week, Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, told the Russian Times that he expects a new variant of the SSJ100, equipped with indigenous engines and components, to be in production condition from the end of 2023.
