Russian Aircraft Industry: Sukhoi Superjet 100 expands to Japan

Russian Suhoi Superjet 100 now operating in Japan

Yakutia Airlines has operated the first flight from Niigata at Japan Honshu Island to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East by Sukhoi Superjet 100.

Earlier in the day, the aircraft performed a ferry flight from Osaka to Niigata, where, following an old aviation tradition, the aircraft was welcomed with a water bridge courtesy of the Niigata Airport Fire Department.

Yakutia Airlines will also operate flights with the Sukhoi Superjet 100 from Niigata to Khabarovsk - the capital of the Far East Federal District of Russia. A flight from Vladivostok to Niigata will take 1.5 hours while passengers on a flight from Khabarovsk to Niigata may enjoy a comfortable Sukhoi Superjet 100 for two hours. The turnaround flight Vladivostok-Niigata is scheduled on August 6 and 13, while the Khabarovsk – Niigata flight will happen on August 3 and 10.

“It is exciting that our customer, the largest airline in Russia’s Far East, is successfully establishing new destination routes with Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft,” said Mr Andrey Kalinovsky, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) President. “The airline recently started operations to China with our aircraft and now it is also offering flights to Japan. We wish success to Yakutia Airlines in continuing development of its route network to Asia. We are always ready to support our partners in implementation of their projects”.

Note EU-Digest: Superjet delivered its first planes to a western customer last month when Interjet, the Mexican low-fare airline, took delivery of the airliner. Success with the carrier will open the door to further orders, Giuseppe Giordo, chief executive officer of Finmeccanica’s aviation unit Alenia said on June 20. 

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