Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Armavia Returns Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 Due To Substandard Quali

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Armavia Returns Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 Due To Substandard Quali

    ARMAVIA RETURNS RUSSIAN SUKHOI SUPERJET 100 DUE TO SUBSTANDARD QUALITY

    eTurboNews
    http://www.eturbonews.com/30528/armavia-returns-russian-sukhoi-superjet-100-due-substandard-qual
    Aug 7 2012

    YEREVAN, Armenia - Armenian airline Armavia has decided to return its
    Sukhoi Superjet 100 because the new aircraft is below the required
    standards, local media reported on Monday, in what is a major blow for
    the Russian aircraft manufacturer which is still working to overcome
    a deadly plane crash earlier this year.

    Armavia was the launch customer for the Sukhoi Superjet 100, the first
    civil aircraft to be built by a Russian aircraft manufacturer since
    the fall of the Soviet Union. The airline received the aircraft in
    April 2011 and used it for flights from Armenia to Ukraine and to
    the Russian cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi.

    An Armavia spokeswoman told the Arka and RIA Novosti news agencies on
    Monday that the airline has decided to return the aircraft because it
    was below the previously declared standards and also required repairs.

    "We consider it inappropriate to purchase a plane which requires
    repairs during its first year in service," she said.

    A source with knowledge about the situation told a Russian newspaper
    earlier on Monday that Armavia is a relatively small airline and cannot
    afford to make experiments. Armavia President Mikhail Baghdasarov
    earlier also expressed discontent over the relationship with Sukhoi
    and complained spare parts for the Superjet 100 are more expensive
    than similar spare parts for Western aircraft.

    Armavia was also scheduled to receive a second Superjet 100 last
    year, but the process was dragged out until June of this year when
    the airline said it will not buy the second aircraft and instead opt
    to purchase a Western aircraft. Both planes are currently at a Sukhoi
    flight test facility near Moscow, where the first Armavia aircraft
    was undergoing regularly scheduled maintenance.

    Armavia's refusal of the medium-haul aircraft could prove to be a
    major blow for Sukhoi, which delivered its tenth production aircraft
    to Russian airline Aeroflot late last month. Aeroflot, which operates
    all but one of the Superjet 100s currently in operation, previously
    ordered a total of 30 Superjet 100 aircraft and intends to buy 10 more.

    Sukhoi is still attempting to overcome a deadly crash in May, when a
    Superjet 100 crashed into a cliff on Mount Salak near the Indonesian
    capital of Jakarta, killing all 45 people on board. The aircraft
    was participating in Sukhoi's "Welcome Asia" roadshow to promote the
    Superjet 100 to airlines in a number of Asian countries.

    The cause of the accident in May remains unknown, but investigators are
    focusing on pilot error and technical failure as two possibilities. If
    Indonesian investigators determine the cause to be the latter, demand
    for the Superjet 100 could be wiped out.

    Sukhoi began the certification process in Indonesia last week, and the
    decision by the country's aviation authority will determine whether
    the Superjet 100 will be allowed to operate in Indonesian airspace.

    Indonesian airlines Sky Aviation and Kartika have already ordered
    42 Superjet 100 aircraft, with the first delivery to Sky Aviation
    expected later this year.

    The Superjet 100 was also certified by the Aviation Authority of
    Mexico in late April, allowing it to operate in the country without
    limitations. Mexican airline Interjet signed a contract with Sukhoi
    in January 2011 to purchase 15 Superjet 100 aircraft, and the delivery
    of the first aircraft is scheduled for the end of this year.

    Source: wireupdate.com




    From: A. Papazian
Working...
X