An extended meeting of the Khabarovsk Regional Branch of the Russian Engineering Workers Union was held in Komsomolsk-on-Amur with the participation of Mikhail Degtyarev, Governor of the region, and the UAC management. The participants of the meeting visited the final assembly shop of the Production Center of Irkut’s Regional Aircraft Corporation Branch, where both pre-production and production SSJ-New aircraft continue to be assembled to be delivered to the Russian airlines.
“At the moment, there are five production SSJ-New aircraft in various stages of assembly on the assembly line in addition to the two SSJ-New prototypes (numbers 97001 and 97003) and the SSJ100 prototype number 95157, where the PD-8 engine will be tested,” noted the UAC video footage in the Vzlyot magazine.
The first SSJ-New aircraft, with SaM146 engines installed, was delivered to the flight-testing facility on June 1, and its actual roll-out from the final assembly shop to check the tightness of the fuel system was held June 11. Subsequently, in connection with the reconstruction, which is in its final stage of construction, the aircraft was returned to the Flight Test Centre, where the Flight Test Centre specialists continued its preparation for the first flight, which should take place before the end of this summer. Flight tests of the SSJ100 prototype #95157 with PD-8 engines are expected to commence in summer and the second SSJ-New (#97003) may take off in the fall.
According to the Comprehensive Aircraft Industry Development Program through 2030, the first two production SSJ-New aircraft are expected to be delivered this year, while from 2024 the annual production of Superjets will reach 20 aircraft, totalling 142 aircraft in 2023-2030.
To date, contracts have been signed for the delivery of 42 SSJ-New aircraft until the end of 2025. Of these, 34 aircraft will be purchased by the leasing company Aviacapital-Service for their further delivery on lease to the Aeroflot group and eight by GTLC for delivery to the Aurora airline.
