RuAviation

The SJ-100 regional jet is undergoing certification flight testing in Belarus, with the campaign focusing on autopilot performance and the accuracy of satellite-based approach procedures. Aircraft 97023 is operating from Minsk as part of a test programme covering around 100 flight modes across different speeds and weather conditions.

The choice of Minsk provides access to an area where both GLONASS and GPS signals are available without interference, allowing the test team to assess navigation accuracy during approach operations. The location also provides a relatively short flight link to the programme’s main test base at Zhukovsky, near Moscow.

Testing involves Yakovlev flight-test personnel, certification centres and the Russian Aviation Register. The campaign covers the engines, avionics, autopilot and automatic flight-control systems, with flights conducted from Minsk and Orsha in both daytime and at night. The test matrix includes operations in fog and reduced visibility.

The aircraft is also being assessed during low-speed approaches, missed approaches and simulated engine failures. These sorties are intended to demonstrate that the SJ-100 can safely complete an approach or execute a go-around under defined conditions and meet the applicable certification requirements.

The Belarus campaign forms part of the wider SJ-100 certification flight-test programme, which is continuing in Novosibirsk. The programme is due to expand in 2027 to include hot- and cold-weather testing, with hot-weather sorties scheduled in Uzbekistan.

The testing is being conducted on the import-substituted version of the SJ-100, supporting the programme’s final certification work and preparation for series production and entry into commercial service.