Anton Alikhanov, the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, has confirmed that deliveries of the import-substituted SJ-100 aircraft, which are equipped with Russian-made PD-8 engines, are anticipated to commence in early 2026. “Recently, the Superjet has already flown with the PD-8 engine. It is manufactured here and sent to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where the engine is mounted under the wing. The second aircraft is now being prepared for takeoff, and our colleagues have scheduled its flight for late April to early May. (…) We are also expecting a third aircraft with this engine. This fleet will be used for certification. Our goal is to complete all testing by the end of this year. And already next year, we will begin deliveries of our Superjets with the new PD-8 engine in early 2026,” he said.
The state corporation Rostec has confirmed that deliveries of the fully import-substituted SJ-100 will commence in 2026. The aircraft is anticipated to conclude its flight certification program by the end of 2025. The PD-8 engine is scheduled for certification in the Superjet in the autumn of 202534. In mid-March, a prototype of the Superjet completed its first flight with domestic PD-8 engines in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, remaining airborne for about 40 minutes, attaining a speed of 500 km/h and an altitude of up to 3,000 meters.
The SJ-100 is a Russian next-generation narrow-body regional aircraft. It is a new version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 with maximal localization of components. In response to Western sanctions, the project was initiated to substitute foreign systems and components with domestically produced alternatives.
As part of the import substitution program, certification work for the SJ-100 aircraft and the PD-8 engine is ongoing. During a visit to the UEC-Saturn production facilities in Rybinsk on April 18, Anton Alikhanov stated that the second prototype aircraft with PD-8 engines is scheduled to fly on April 25 and that three aircraft with these engines will be involved in the certification process. “The second aircraft is already being prepared for flight. Colleagues have scheduled it for April 25. As we announced earlier, the first flight of the fully import-substituted version [aircraft tail number 97003] will take place before the end of April. We are also expecting a third aircraft with these engines. This fleet will be involved in the certification of the engine,” said the head of the ministry.
Alikhanov added that the objective is to complete all certification tests by the end of the year and to begin deliveries of the SJ-100 with PD-8 engines to airlines in early 2026. Oleg Bocharov, the first deputy general director of UAC, stated on April 21, “We are proceeding according to plan. The aircraft is fully ready. It has been delivered to the flight testing station. Ground testing is underway. We are processing the necessary documents. Waiting for the weather,” as quoted by TASS.
Three prototypes are currently undergoing Superjet certification under the SSJ New program: tail number 97021 (serial 97001), which is equipped with SaM146 engines and some imported equipment replaced with Russian equivalents, is conducting certification test flights in Zhukovsky; tail number 97012 (serial 95157), which is equipped with PD-8 engines and partial replacement of imported components, is undergoing factory refinement tests in Komsomolsk-on-Amur; and tail number 97003, which is equipped with PD-8 engines and represents a prototype of the new build with almost complete replacement of imported components, is also located in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and is being prepared for its first flight.
The first flight of the first Superjet powered by PD-8 engines took place on March 17, with tail number 97012. The import substitution program encompasses the replacement of approximately 40 components that are manufactured in countries that Russia considers to be “unfriendly.” According to Oleg Bocharov, General Director of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the SJ-100, a narrow-body regional aircraft with the highest degree of component localization, is anticipated to conduct its first flight by the end of this month.
The SJ-100 is anticipated to receive certification by the end of the year, and serial production is expected to commence next year, according to the Ministry of Transport of Russia.
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