Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft are back in the spotlight due to a series of accidents and technical issues. According to a report by the Russian news agency Kommersant, three different Superjets operated by Azimuth Airlines narrowly avoided serious accidents in the past two weeks due to significant technical malfunctions.
Three Incidents in One Week
- November 24: An Azimuth Superjet’s engine caught fire during landing in Turkey.
- November 28: Another Superjet failed to take off from Saransk due to an engine malfunction.
- December 1: A similar model was forced to make an emergency landing at Mineralnye Vody Airport because of a fuel filter failure.
Kommersant notes that the fuel filter issue stems from poor-quality domestic production, exacerbated by international sanctions that prevent the import of higher-quality components.
Increasing Technical Problems with the Superjet
According to Rosaviatsia, only 93 of the 230 Superjet 100s produced are currently certified for flight. Technical failures have doubled over the past three years. With 55–60% of the aircraft’s components relying on imports, sanctions have made it difficult to locally replace these parts, worsening the crisis.
Russia’s Aviation Future at Risk
While Russia aims to produce 1,000 passenger aircraft by 2030, this plan has largely stalled due to sanctions. Without access to spare parts for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, Russia has had to ground a significant portion of its fleet. Projects to modernize and domestically produce aircraft like the Superjet 100 and Tupolev Tu-214 are also experiencing delays.
Expert Insights
Veteran Russian pilot Viktor Sazhenin highlighted that Superjet systems fail more frequently compared to Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 counterparts. However, official data suggests that by 2024, technical issues in Superjets could align with those in imported models.
Overcoming Challenges
Russia plans to boost domestic production to overcome its aviation challenges, but international sanctions and technological limitations make achieving this goal highly difficult.
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