Interjet (AIJ, Toluca) has grounded eleven of its twenty-two SSJ 100/95s after inspections uncovered structural anomalies in their stabilisers.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) last week issued airworthiness directive, AD 2016-322-02, requesting all SuperJet operators to inspect their aircraft for defects in their stabiliser attachment bands. Manufacturer Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (Zhukovsky) has issued a statement stating that the defect is not of a "systemic nature" and can be "eliminated within a few days". However, it expects the replacement of nodes on affected aircraft to only be completed by late January.
Prior to Interjet's announcement, Russian operators Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) and IrAero (IO, Irkutsk International) were the only SuperJet operators known to have grounded any of their aircraft thus far. Interfax reported last week that six and one aircraft had been withdrawn from commercial service respectively.
Given the possibility of a lengthy absence of half its SuperJet fleet, Mexico's civil aviation authority (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil - DGAC) has since authorised Interjet to deploy its A321-200s on eleven domestic and one international route out of México City International previously ascribed to the SuperJet. The destinations entail: Monterrey Mariano Escobedo, Guadalajara, Merida M. Crescencio Rejon, Tuxtla Gutiérrez International, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Torreón, León/Guanajuato, Villahermosa, Veracruz and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. As for the international route, it is Santa Clara de Cuba.
