End of the line for Sukhoi’s Superjets in Mexico

By August 30, 2019 January 16th, 2020 General News

The last remaining overseas operator of the Russian Superjet 100 is considering getting rid of them according to Russian business daily Vedomosti. Mexican airline Interjet, which is the only non-Russian operator of the aircraft, is reportedly giving up on the type, which was previously known as the Sukhoi SSJ 100.

Although the decision is stated as not being connected with the Aeroflot crash in May, Interjet is seeking to sell “as much as possible” of its Superjet 100 aircraft. It’s likely the sale would include the 14 or 21 aircraft, as part of Interjet’s Superjet 100 fleet some of which were ‘cannibalised’ during their service. The reason for the sale is the precarious financial situation that Interjet is currently experiencing.

The airline ordered 22 Superjet 100s back in 2011, praising the Russian airliner for a lower price compared to Boeing and Airbus types. But the fleet was to suffer from prolonged groundings due to technical and maintenance issues. Although the fleet consists of 22 aircraft, currently only six are airworthy.