Extending the service life of Russian SSJ-100s with SaM146 engines should not hinder the transition to the import-substituted SJ-100, however, the operation of older aircraft is associated with the problem of servicing foreign components. Maxim Pyadushkin, Managing Director of the publication "Aviatransportnoye Obozreniye" (Aviation Review), drew attention to this, commenting on Rosaviatsiya's decision to increase the Superjet's service life from 15 to 20 years.
The assigned service life of the SSJ-100 increased from 25,000 to 40,000 flight hours, and the permissible number of flights from 15,000 to 20,000. According to Pyadushkin, extending the service life and developing an import-substituted version should go in parallel. For a relatively young aircraft, revising the service life is normal practice, and its capabilities are checked during resource tests at TsAGI.
At the same time, the expert highlighted a significant caveat regarding foreign components.
The extension of the service life of all foreign components on the Superjet since 2022 has been occurring, at a minimum, without official approval from their manufacturers.
This is not equivalent to declaring the aircraft unsafe, but it points to the difficulty of maintaining their airworthiness without official support from foreign suppliers. The mere increase in the assigned service life does not mean that every aircraft is automatically ready for operation for an additional five years: the technical condition of the machines and units still requires control.
A quick replacement of the entire active fleet is also unlikely. According to the expert, preparations for re-engining are already underway, but re-equipping will require significant costs from airlines and may prove to be economically unviable. Meanwhile, the SJ-100 with the Russian PD-8 engine is still undergoing certification.