Aeroflot chief executive Sergey Alexandrovsky has warned that Russia’s SSJ 100 fleet could gradually shrink unless the government subsidises the replacement of foreign SaM146 engines with domestically built PD-8 units. The warning, made at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, centres on the high cost of re-engining the Superjet 100 and the risk of gradual withdrawals if operators are left to fund the work themselves.
Industry coverage has put the conversion bill at about 2.1 billion to 2.3 billion rubles per aircraft. Alexandrovsky argued that the programme is only viable with state support, while also saying lost capacity could be offset by shifting flying hours to other aircraft in the fleet and by incoming MC-21 deliveries. The issue affects an estimated 160 SSJ 100 aircraft in service across Russia, including 78 operated by Rossiya, part of Aeroflot Group.
The warning comes as Russia continues to rebuild its civil aviation supply chain after sanctions cut support for the original French-Russian engine package. The manufacturer side has pushed back on the need for budget support, keeping the re-engining plan at the centre of an unresolved policy debate over how long the SSJ 100 can remain in service.