PICTURE: First Armavia Superjet awaits delivery

By David Kaminski-Morrow

Following the release of images of Aeroflot's first Sukhoi Superjet 100, the first aircraft for its other initial customer, Armavia, has been unveiled.

Armavia has two of the type on order, for which it signed an initial agreement in 2007, and options for another pair.
Registered EK-95015, the aircraft - the first production example, serial number 97007 - has been named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
The Russian Government's official publication, Rossiskaya Gazeta, has published photographs of the aircraft, following livery painting.

Source: Rossiskaya Gazeta/Victoria Chernysheva

Sukhoi manufactured the twin-jet at its Komsomolsk-on-Amur facility although it underwent painting at Spektr-Avia in Ulyanovsk.
The carrier plans to put the type into operation in February.
Armavia will use the Superjet on the route between its base, at the Armenian capital Yerevan, and Moscow.
Russia is in the process of certifying the type, which is fitted with PowerJet SaM146 engines and typically configured with 98 seats.

Source: flightglobal.com