RT quoted a statement from Russian Defense Industry Group Rostec as saying that on April 23, the "pure domestic" SJ-100 passenger plane flew smoothly for 40 minutes at an altitude of 3,000m, reaching a maximum speed of 500 km/h in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Far East.
The systems on the plane, including the PD-8 engine developed by the United engine Corporation (UEC), all operate stably and accurately.
The domestic aircraft development program has been strongly promoted after Russia faced an unprecedented wave of sanctions from the US and EU, cutting the country's aviation industry off from the supply chain from the West since the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Rostec's first Deputy General Director, Vladimir Artyakov, said: "The program to replace imported components for the Superjet line is entering the final stage. We have replaced about 40 imported systems and equipment clusters, including the heart of the aircraft as the engine.
If it meets technical standards, the SJ-100 is expected to complete the certification process by the end of this year and will be officially handed over to Russian airlines from 2026.
Mr. Vadim Badekha - General Director of UEC - commented: "This is a historic event, demonstrating an important step to strengthen technological independence and contribute to the development of the Russian aviation industry".
In the context of tense geopolitics, Russia's successful "taking off" of a pure domestic Superjet not only has technological significance but also shows its determination to escape dependence on the West, paving the way for the Russian aviation industry to reshape in the near future.
