IrAero to double its Superjet 100 fleet

Irkutsk-based regional carrier plans to launch flights to China on the newly leased aircraft in 2017 (Photo by Alex Snow / Wikipedia)

Russia’s IrAero is set to double its fleet of Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jets. Irkutsk-based regional carrier will receive four new SSJ 100s in the long-range version (dubbed SSJ 100LR) in the first quarter of next year, according the operational leasing provider for the transaction, the State Transport Leasing Company, which goes by the Russian acronym GTLK.

“A contract is currently in the works, with the basic parameters have already been settled. IrAero will get its new SSJ 100s, in the first quarter of 2017,” a GTLK spokesperson told Russian Aviation Insider. The leasing provider also confirmed that the contract’s terms and technical specifications are now being negotiated. IrAero plans to operate the aircraft, which will be delivered directly from the producer, the Sukhoi Civil Aviation Co, on routes “from Irkutsk to Moscow, from Omsk and Irkutsk to destinations in southern Russia, to southern China, and, possibly, to Vietnam.”

There are currently four SSJ 100s already in IrAero’s fleet, all of which were previously operated by Aeroflot and Red Wings. The carrier has been independently operating these aircraft since July 26 of this year. In addition to domestic routes on which these aircraft fly, IrAero plans to open routes from Irkutsk to China.

Apart from Sukhoi Superjet 100s, IrAero operates six Bombardier CRJ200LR regional jets and 17 Antonov An-24/26 turboprops. In January through August of this year, the operator served 143,200 passengers, a decrease of 24.6% year-on-year. IrAero ranks 31st in the list of Russian passenger carriers.