Rossiya Airlines (Aeroflot group) have started operating single class Superjet 100 aircraft. The first three airliners, fully equipped with economy class saloons and designed to carry 100 passengers, started operating in the Rossiya Airlines network. The aircraft named in honor of Ufa (hull No. 89146) and Yaroslavl (hull No. 89147) will fly from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, while the liner named in honor of Gatchina (hull No. 89142) will fly from Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.

The first flight from St. Petersburg to Grozny took place at 07:55 on September 10 according to schedule. The first flights from Moscow will take place on September 10. The planes will depart for Arkhangelsk and Volgograd with departures from Sheremetyevo airport at 16:20 and 17:35, respectively.

Rossiya signed a firm contract for delivery of 15 fully economy class Superjet 100 aircraft at the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon in the summer of 2021, which took place in July. Under the terms of the contract, the aircraft join the airline’s fleet directly from the manufacturer’s plant.

The increased Superjet 100 aircraft capacity allows the airline to carry a greater number of passengers and helps meet the demand for low-cost air services connecting Russian regions with Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the same time, Rossiya is not refusing to operate two-class configuration Superjet 100 aircraft – liners equipped with business class add comfort for business passengers. The airline’s fleet currently includes 44 Superjet 100 aircraft with a total 87 passenger capacity: 12 in business class and 75 in economy class.

The first domestically produced Superjet 100 entered the fleet in January 2021. They were only flying from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. Now the Russian Superjet 100 fleet is concentrated in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. The airliners fly to 24 destinations from Sheremetyevo Airport and 6 routes from Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg. On some of the routes, Rossiya is the only Aeroflot Group carrier.

A total of 66 Superjet 100 aircraft will be in operation in the Rossiya fleet by the end of the year. By the end of 2022, the fleet will include 87 Superjet 100 airliners.