The unification of MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft under a single brand has raised questions among aviation industry specialists. Honored Pilot of the USSR Oleg Smirnov stated that the rebranding initiative appears secondary against the backdrop of unresolved issues related to the certification and launch of serial production of new Russian airliners.
The discussion was prompted by the statement of Vadim Badekha, head of the United Aircraft Corporation, about plans to supply MC-21 and import-substituted SJ-100 to airlines under a common brand. However, both projects have not yet completed the certification procedure.
Rebranding has been long overdue. It's unclear what MC means and why it's "Superjet." This idea has been floating around. But Badekha shouldn't be dealing with this now; we expect different information from him. When will the mass production of these aircraft be established, and before that, he must answer the question: when will they receive state airworthiness certificates? No matter what they are called.
Separately, Smirnov drew attention to the financing of the MC-21 and SJ-100 programs. He stated that the public has not yet received exhaustive answers about the results of using significant budget funds invested in the development and refinement of these aircraft. In this regard, the expert expressed concern that a brand change could distract attention from issues related to the efficiency of spending.
Earlier, the head of Rosaviatsia stated that Russian airlines will need about 60 SJ-100 aircraft by the end of the decade, and Rostec head Sergey Chemezov announced that the first 4-5 MC-21 aircraft will be delivered in 2027.
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