"We don't need Superman in the sky!": Veterans demand Superjet-100 be renamed to Yak-100

The public figures are convinced that the new name will strengthen national pride and return to the sky a name familiar to every generation

The public organization "Veterans of Russia" has proposed renaming the domestic Superjet 100 aircraft to "Yak-100". According to activists, the current name is too strongly associated with the image of the American Superman and may mislead young people. Instead of using a name in Latin, the veterans propose to return to tradition and name the aircraft after the outstanding aircraft designer Alexander Yakovlev.

The public figures sent their proposal to the Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Elena Yampolskaya, reminding her that in 2023 she actively participated in the development of a law protecting the Russian language from excessive borrowing. In their opinion, the name in English does not correspond to the spirit of Russian aircraft construction, especially considering that the aircraft is fully import-substituted and produced under the auspices of PJSC "Yakovlev".

The authors of the appeal emphasize the historical significance of the name Yakovlev: under his leadership, hundreds of types and modifications of aircraft were created, including the legendary Yak-3 and Yak-9, which played an important role in the victory over fascism. The veterans believe that using the name of the designer will contribute to patriotic education, strengthening the connection between generations, and promoting the achievements of domestic science.

The Superjet 100 aircraft has been flying since 2008, but the issue of changing the name is being raised for the first time only now. At the same time, in 2024, Rostec discussed the possibility of Russifying the name of the aircraft. It is likely that the current moment is considered symbolic - the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War is ahead.