Russian Jets Have a Hard Time Getting to Western Markets because of Gov’t Rules
Every industry has their own set of rules. These rules ensure profitability and ethical business practices among peers. To help keep these rules steadfast and relevant, there are government agencies that help regulate the movements of these industries and monitor how the players are complying. Unfortunately, while these rules keep the industry standard practices at its finest, it can also hinder business growth if these rules are not aligned together.
Such is the case for the entry of the Russian aircrafts MC-21 and the modified SSJ100 jetliners. Recent reports said that there are incongruence in the airworthiness standards between Russia and Europe. Because of this, the aircrafts mentioned above might have to take more test flights than what standard practices dictate.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said because of this discrepancies, the entry of the two aircrafts might be delayed by a few months, or worse some years. Reports also noted that the discrepancies stemmed from a decision made in 2015 that diverted the civil aircraft certification functions conducted by the Commonwealth of Independent States’ Air Register of International Aviation Committee (ARMAK) and directed it to the Federal Air Transportation Agency (Rosaviatsiya), a Russian government agency.
The problem was later magnified when the Russian government issued Order 1283, that nullified a number of interstate agreements signed before 2015. Because of these events, the Russian jetliners will be requested to take two-thirds of the flight-test program already passed in the home country by the EASA as airworthy aircrafts.
To soften the impact of these activities, the Russian Ministry of Justice have stepped in and promised to make the necessary adjustments as suggested by the civil aviation team to be in line with the set of laws followed in the European Union. This is after the manufacturers have expressed their concern over the delayed deliveries of the aircrafts which will have a direct dent on the bottom-line figures of the companies.
If all goes well, it is expected that the SSJ100 modified armed with Sabrelets and a strengthened wing could receive its certification in the third quarter of 2019. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) manufacturer of the modified SSJ100 hopes to increase lift to drag ratio by 0.5 through its new winglets, that delivers four percent fuel savings and a 270- to 380-nautical-mile increase in range.
“The manufacturer hopes to win national certification in the first or second quarter of 2019, and deliver the first winglet-equipped SSJ100 delivered by the year-end. Severstal has agreed to become the first operator of the aircraft, followed by Mexico’s Interjet and Aeroflot. SCAC plans to deliver four Superjets with Saberlets this year,” the AIN online news portal reported.
Knisley Exhaust believes that everyone should have access to quality transportation, without regard to which country the aircrafts will hail from. The equal testing of aircrafts is the best way to ensure the safety of the riding public and regulators would have this intention when drafting laws that will affect the public’s access to these choices. Knisley exhaust remains the top repair and parts supplier of Cessna 210.