SuperJet International (SJI) – a joint venture between Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica Company, and Sukhoi Holding – announced that its launch western customer Interjet has converted its five Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) options into firm orders.

In January 2011 SuperJet International signed a contract with Interjet for the purchase of 15 SSJ100 plus 5 options. All SSJ100 aircraft will be in a 93 seat configuration, basic version. Based on the aircraft list price, the value of the 20 aircraft order is approximately 700 million USD. Interjet’s first SSJ100 will arrive in Venice (Italy) at SuperJet International’s Headquarters in August 2012.

The aircraft will be completed, customized and delivered by the end of the year at the SJI completion center in Venice. SJI is developing the EASA STC for the interiors’ installation, which will be marked by Pininfarina Italian Style.

“We are very proud of this result because it confirms the strong belief of Interjet in the SSJ100 product and services – states Nazario Cauceglia, Chief Executive Officer of SuperJet International – Interjet is our first western customer and is a high-efficiency airline with a growing network. SJI is working intensively to guarantee the maximum level of quality and services. We believe that this deal will provide boost to our sales in the western markets”.

“We are delighted to add five additional SSJ100 to our network – states Miguel Aleman Velasco, Chairman of Interjet – we are keenly aware of the competitive advantage of the SSJ100 in the 100 segment because of its outstanding characteristics in terms of quality, comfort and operational costs. We firmly believe that the SSJ100 is a technologically advanced aircraft which provides the maximum efficiency in the high altitude/high temperature typical of Mexico and fits with Interjet’s high standards”.

SJI also signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to appoint Interjet Toluca’s facility as a “SJI Authorized Service Center” for the provisioning of base and line maintenance on the SSJ100. Therefore the Interjet Toluca facility will benefit from the support of SJI to provide in-house and third party SSJ100 operators with airframe maintenance. This agreement is a further sign of the solid relationship Interjet and SJI have established since 2011 when the companies entered into a 10 years per-flight-hour based “SuperCare” Agreement to ensure the most qualified SSJ100 after-sales support.

In April 2012, the SSJ100 aircraft obtained Mexican Certification confirming its compliance with the requirements of the Mexican Aviation Authority.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 program represents the most important industrial partnership between the Russian Federation and the rest of the world in the civil aviation sector.