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IrAero signs a contract for four SSJ 100s
Posted on April 28th, 2016 by Russian Aviation Insider in Air Transport, Russia
IrAero currently operates less spacious CRJ 200s (Photo by Mikhail Glazyrin / Wikipedia)
Irkutsk-based regional airline IrAero and the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK) have signed an agreement for delivery of four Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet 100s (SSJ 100), a source in the company told Russian Aviation Insider. All four aircraft will have a double-class configuration with 93 seats: 8 in business and 85 in economy class. GTLK earlier announced that the contract was being negotiated.
IrAero will lease the aircraft from the secondary market, but the airline did not disclose the names of the aircraft's previous operator, or their tail numbers. The carrier is now training pilot crews and technical staff to operate the type. Last week, however, GTLK said it would reclaim three aircraft in the same configuration from Red Wings.
As announced earlier, IrAero was expecting the aircraft to arrive in May. GTLK promised that the SSJs would be ready by the beginning of the summer season. IrAero has already written the new aircraft into its summer schedule. The carrier is hoping to expand its network beyond Irkutsk region.
The Irkutsk-based carrier currently operates a fleet of 17 Antonov An-24/26 and six CRJ200s. These aircraft offer no more than half of the capacity offered by the SSJ 100. In the first two months of 2016, IrAero carried 25,800 passengers, 30.8% less than in the first two months of the previous year.
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