Leading customer of the newest Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 (SSJ-100) Armenian Armavia airline seems to completely get disappointed in its choice, having decided against exploitation of the ordered jets, Russian RBC daily writes.

Earlier the Armenian national carrier stated about its refusal to buy the second Superjet and now is searching for ways to return the first jet acquired still in the beginning of 2011 as well.

Several sources have told RBC Daily that two Armavia colored SSJ-100 are in Zhukovski airport.

“As of today the two jets are in the territory of test-flight complex of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (CJSC). As of the moment, there are no official documents from Armavia about its refusal to implement the contract commitments. We are trying to regulate all the issues rising in relationship with Armavia in a working regime,” Andrey Muravyev, official representative of CJSC told RBC Daily.
At the same time he stressed that commercial relations with the carrier are of confidential character.

One of the sources of the RBC Daily said Armavia has accumulated debts for service of the first jet while the Armenian airline refuses to pay them. The jet has been put in pledge at one of Armenian banks.

“The jet is a good one but it has not been worked till the end. If Airbus and Boeing fly 330-350 hours a month, SSJ flew just 150,” a source close to Armavia told RBC. According to the source, the last straw was spending four days for observance of customs procedures for a temporary import of the aircraft to Russia for two-day repair in Zhukovski.

RBC Daily writes still in early July the airline warned CJSC of not going to exploit the mentioned jet. “Armavia is not a big company and cannot experiment, ” the source told RBC Daily. He said the CJSC returned the money for the first jet with the deduction of 1 million USD for repair.

Earlier, head of Armavia airline Mikhail Baghdasarov voiced dissatisfaction about cooperation with the CJSC, saying that the cost of spare parts of the plane is four times more expensive than the similar parts of Airbus.

Armavia company’s spokesperson Nana Avetisova was unavailable for commenting on the information published by the Russian media.