The Russian defense concern “Rostech” is going to rename the import-substituted version of the passenger plane Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100). Due to the huge number of breakdowns, this plane has already been nicknamed the “flying coffin”.
«We will give up [the foreign name]. We have it all under the KB (design bureau) named after A. S. Yakovlev, and I think that [the plane will be called] this way — “Yakovlev“», — said the head of the Russian state corporation Serhii Chemezov in an interview with RBC. At the same time, he did not name the terms of the official renaming.
Development of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 began in the 2000s. The project became Russia's first attempt to create a modern mass-produced passenger plane after the collapse of the USSR.
At first, the liner was called the Russian Regional Jet. In 2006, it was renamed SSJ-100. The prefix Sukhoi refers to the name of the company developing the project – “Civil planes of Sukhoi” (renamed to “Regional planes”, in the status of a branch it entered PJSC “Yakovlev”).
SSJ-100 made its first flight in 2008, and entered commercial operation in 2011. At the beginning of operation, imported components made up almost 80% of the structure. In 2018, it was announced the creation of a new model of the plane with a greater share of Russian elements.
After the plane crash in Sheremetyevo in 2019, Chemezov first announced the possible renaming of the liner. In two years, the head of Rostec returned to this topic again. "I think that the name should be changed, of course. Why should a Russian-made aircraft be called by an English abbreviation?», — he said.
Rostec disrupted the supply of import-substituted SSJ-100s to Aeroflot and postponed the delivery of the liners from the end of 2023 to 2025. In particular, the manufacturer had problems with replacing the foreign engine with the Russian PD-8, which has not been able to pass certification for two years.
At the same time, Rostec planned to make and deliver 34 import-substituted airliners to Aeroflot by 2025. But the state corporation will do it only on paper — the planes will remain on the manufacturer's territory until certification of all Russian systems and units is completed, rossMI wrote.