Russian airlines to receive eight Sukhoi Superjet 100s

Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut and PSB Leasing company has signed agreements with three Russian airlines including Aeroflot, Azimuth Airlines, and Red Wings Airlines to deliver eight Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes.

Under the contracts, five Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft will be delivered to Aeroflot, Russia’s flag carrier. All these aircraft are expected to be fitted in a two-class seating configuration of 12 seats in business and 75 in economy class. The other two aircraft will be fitted in a single-class seating layout for Azimuth Airlines, the Rostov-based air carrier. The remaining Superjet will have a single-class seating configuration for Red Wings Airlines fleet and will carry 100 passengers onboard.

According to a press release made by the United Aircraft Corporation, Promsvyazbank, the Russian financial company, in collaboration with PSB Leasing would fund all eight Sukhoi Superjet 100s deliveries through a credit line opened by PSB Leasing to enable the purchase and lease of the jets in 2020 and 2021.

“The production and operation of domestic civil aviation equipment are one of the priority tasks of the country’s economic development. The signed agreements are the first stage in the implementation of the largest deal in recent years for the supply of new passenger aircraft in the Russian aviation segment,” said Sergei Ogienko, the General Director of PSB Leasing.

“I am confident that our joint work with the aircraft manufacturer, Irkut Corporation, and aircraft operators will positively affect the development of the Russian air transportation market and the opening of new interregional routes, ” added Ogienko.

The General Director of PSB Leasing explained that lease payments that would be received from all three Russian air carriers would service the loans.

Oleg Gulyaev, the Head of the Regional Aircraft branch of the Irkut Corporation, said that the partnership among PSB Leasing and Promsvyazbank would help Irkut to continue the further development of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 program.

“Due to the combination of capacity, range, and comfort for passengers, our aircraft meets the basic requirements for Russian airlines actively developing a network of air transportation between the cities of our country,” said Gulyaev.