6/16/2011: Aeroflot Puts First Sukhoi Superjet 100 Into Service

‍DALLAS — On June 16, 2011, Aeroflot (SU) placed its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 into commercial service, marking a major moment for Russia’s post-Soviet commercial aircraft ambitions.

The aircraft operated its first passenger flight from Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) to St. Petersburg Pulkovo (LED), opening Superjet operations for Russia’s flag carrier. The aircraft, registered RA-89001, was named Mikhail Vodopyanov after the Soviet polar aviator.

The flight departed Sheremetyevo’s Terminal D at 9:10 a.m. and arrived at Pulkovo at 10:40 a.m., according to contemporary program records.

Aeroflot joins the Superjet program

Aeroflot’s entry into SSJ100 operations came less than two months after the aircraft type made its global commercial debut with Armavia on April 21, 2011, between Yerevan (EVN) and Moscow Sheremetyevo.

For Aeroflot, the Superjet was intended to modernize regional operations with a domestically built jet that could replace older Soviet-era aircraft and support thinner domestic and near-international routes.

The aircraft was part of a broader Russian aerospace push to reestablish a globally relevant civil aircraft program after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The SSJ100 combined Russian design and assembly with several Western systems and suppliers, including the PowerJet SaM146 engine developed by Safran and NPO Saturn.

A complicated legacy

The Superjet’s early promise was significant. It was Russia’s most visible modern commercial aircraft program, and Aeroflot’s adoption gave the type important credibility at home.

Its later record became more complicated. The aircraft faced reliability, support, and parts challenges, while international ambitions narrowed sharply after Western sanctions against Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The program has since continued under the SJ-100 name as Russia works on an import-substituted version using more domestic systems and the Russian PD-8 engine.

A good attempt

Aeroflot’s first SSJ100 service represented Russia’s attempt to return to the commercial aircraft market with a modern regional jet backed by its national carrier.

Fifteen years later, the aircraft’s story reads differently. What began as an internationalized Russian regional jet has become a more isolated domestic program shaped by geopolitics, sanctions, and the challenge of replacing foreign components.

Still, June 16, 2011, remains a key date in the Superjet’s operating history: the day Russia’s flag carrier put the country’s most important modern regional jet into passenger service.