The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia plans to finance research and development work to replace foreign SaM146 engines with domestic PD-8 engines on Superjet 100 aircraft already produced. This was announced by the head of the ministry, Anton Alikhanov.
This concerns airliners manufactured before 2022 that are still operated by airlines.
The airframe still has a large reserve of life, so it is important for us now to carry out scientific and experimental design work on re-motorization in order to solve some technical issues with such a pin-to-pin replacement. I think that we will definitely take on this work and finance it from the ministry.
To implement this project, the ministry plans to propose a financing mechanism to the government through GTLK and other leasing companies. A preferential option is possible so that airlines can replace old engines with new ones without significant costs. Specific dates for the start of the project have not yet been determined, but it is scheduled to begin in 2026.
Earlier, the United Aircraft Corporation stated that re-motorization of old Superjet 100s may turn out to be economically unprofitable. However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is ready to take on part of the costs to help carriers keep their aircraft in operation.
Read also materials on the topic:
- Superjets with SaM146 will have to be sent to the landfill: replacing them with PD-8s will cost a pretty penny
- ODK will soon test a fully import-substituted Superjet with PD-8 engines
- For PD-8 and SaM146 engines: a new method of rotary welding was introduced at the ODK-Saturn engine-building enterprise
