GECAS agreed with Russia’s S7 Airlines on E170 lease

S7 Airlines will become first Russian operator of the E170 jets (Photo by Embraer)

Russia’s second largest carrier S7 Airline signed an agreement with GECAS to lease 17 pre-owned E170 jets. The deal was confirmed today by Embraer that stressed the Russian airline would become first operator of the E170 in the country. The aircraft deliveries will start in the first half of 2017.

“The first Embraers will be based at the Novosibirsk Tolmachevo airport which is located well enough to serve as an efficient hub for other regions. The new type of airliners will allow us to launch flights from small and hard to reach cities, where the use of medium-haul aircrafts is impossible,” said Vladimir Obyedkov, CEO of S7 Airlines. The Russian carrier currently operates 20 A319s, 19 A320s, six A321s single-aisle airliners and two Boeing 767 widebodies.

The first Russian order for E170 was announced in October, just weeks after Russian authorities granted type certificates for this model and its larger variant E175. The E170 variant can carry up to 78 passengers in all-economy high capacity configuration.

The stretched E190 and E195 variants were certified by Russia in 2012, and Saratov Airlines has been flying the E195 since 2013.

The E-Jets are already well established in several countries in the CIS. These aircraft are operated in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova.