Part-Russian jet with Snecma-Saturn engine Background JSC Sukhoi was incorporated in May 2000 to develop the first all-new commercial aircraft in
post-Soviet Russia. On 15 October 2001, the
Russian government allocated $46.6 million to the development of a new 70–80 seat regional jet, targeting first flight in 2006 and entry into service in 2007. The BR710 and the CF34-8 were eliminated by July 2002, and the PW800 was subsequently rejected due to a perceived technical risk associated with its geared fan. to be developed in a joint venture with NPO Saturn, based on the Snecma SPW14 and combining a Snecma DEM21 gas generator with an
Aviadvigatel "cold section". An application for
EASA certification was made in 2004 and was expected to be granted six months after the Russian approval. On 22 August, Sukhoi and
Alenia Aeronautica established the
SuperJet International joint venture for customer support outside Russia and Asia.
Alenia Aeronautica took a 25% stake in Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Corporation (SCAC) for $250 million, valuing it at $1 billion. Development costs were expected to total $1 billion, with another $1 billion needed to develop the powerplant and for customer support. The SuperJet was officially unveiled on 26 September 2007 at
Dzyomgi Airport in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur. By October 2007, initial deliveries were scheduled for 2009; plans called for the 95–98-seat model to be followed by a 75–78-seat shrink and a 110-seat stretch. The
SaM146 engine was first run on 21 February 2008. Tests were conducted by the
Gromov Flight Research Institute, using an
Ilyushin Il-76LL as a flying test bed. The SuperJet 100 made its maiden flight on 19 May 2008, taking off from Komsomolsk-on-Amur. By July, certification was expected for the third quarter of 2009, pushing back deliveries to later the same quarter. On 24 December 2008, the second SSJ made its maiden flight. By January 2009, the first two aircraft had completed over 80 flights, and the engines had accumulated 2,300 hours of tests. In April 2009, the two prototypes were flown from Novosibirsk to Moscow, and
EASA pilots conducted a number of familiarisation flights. A third prototype joined the test campaign in July 2009. The SSJ made its international debut at the 2009
Paris Air Show; during the show,
Malév Hungarian Airlines placed a $1 billion order for 30 aircraft. As of June 2009, 13 aircraft were under construction, with the first four scheduled to be handed over to clients from December.