Russian carrier Red Wings has taken delivery of its first Sukhoi SSJ100 Superjet as it expands its network into the Russian domestic regional market. The aircraft was officially handed over to the independent carrier and delivered to its Domodedovo International Airport base in Moscow on January 19, 2014.
Who operates the Sukhoi Superjet and where does it fly? Find out in our January 2014 aircraft network analysis.
Red Wings has committed to receive three aircraft on lease from the manufacturer during the first half of this year. They will be operated by the carrier under an initial three year lease term but this is open to extension subject to success of the new regional expansion.
The airline is expected to use the aircraft, which will be configured in a two-class, 93-seat layout, to build new city par links within Russia, which can then be switched to larger capacity airliners as they mature.
“Operations of aircraft such as the Sukhoi Superjet 100 will enforce the opportunities for Red Wings to enter into regional transportation market which is new for the airline.”
Chief Executive Officer, Red Wings
The type will initially enter service on routes from Moscow Domodedovo to Makhachkala and Grozny in the South of Russia, but are also expected to be used to link the capital to Chelyabinsk, Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Ufa and others as the additional aircraft arrive.
“Operations of aircraft such as the Sukhoi Superjet 100 will enforce the opportunities for Red Wings to enter into regional transportation market which is new for the airline”, said Evgeny Klyucharev, chief executive officer, Red Wings.
“The signing of this rental agreement for Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft marked the beginning of the first phase of the program implementing a new type of aircraft in the fleet of Red Wings, as we plan to increase the number of Sukhoi Superjet 100 to fifteen by 2017,” he added.
Red Wings’ routes between Moscow Domodedovo and the markets of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan and Grozny in the Chechen Republic are already served by other Russian operators. According to OAG Schedules Analyser, RusLine currently flies to Grozny from Moscow Domodedovo using 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200s, while UTair offers a link between Makhachkala’s Uytash Airport and Moscow Vnukovo using Boeing 737-500 equipment.
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