Russian aviation faces a multibillion-dollar problem as Western engines need urgent replacement

Russia’s airlines cannot replace the French engines in their SSJ-100 jets without state support, Aeroflot chief Sergei Aleksandrovsky has warned. Without subsidies, he said, operators of the aircraft will gradually withdraw their entire SSJ-100 fleets.

Russian airlines operate about 160 of the medium-haul jets. Rossiya Airlines, which belongs to the Aeroflot group and is under sanctions, operates 78 of them. The aircraft have no obvious replacement. Their manufacturer, United Aircraft Corporation, had already forecast that almost the entire SSJ-100 fleet would leave service by 2030 as the engines reach the end of their operating lives.

The affected aircraft would have to be replaced by redistributing flight hours across the remaining fleet and using new MC-21 aircraft. Russia has so far produced only one MC-21, however.

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Only with certain government support measures.

The problem emerged after France’s Safran ended cooperation with Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Safran had serviced the SaM-146 and produced key components. Russian airlines now face the prospect of replacing those engines with domestic PD-8 units.

Kommiersant sources estimated the conversion at 2.1 billion to 2.3 billion rubles, or about 100 million Polish zlotys, per aircraft. Some sources said the estimate was too low because one PD-8 already cost more than 1 billion rubles two years ago. The conversion would involve more than an engine change, including new engine nacelles, modified pylons and wing boxes, changes to onboard wiring and alterations to auxiliary propulsion systems. Questions also remain over whether United Aircraft Corporation can produce enough PD-8 engines.

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If there are no subsidies for replacing the engines, the fleets of all companies operating the SSJ-100 will gradually be withdrawn.