I flew from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Russia's newest passenger jet, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (shortly SSJ 100) in February 2012 with the airline company Aeroflot, Russia's flag-carrier.
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Wing of the Superjet 100:
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As the engines were starting up, the plane’s cabin was filled with an unpleasant rumbling noise, accompanied by vibration, after which a cloud of exhaust fumes rose from under the wing. I call attention to this because I’ve never experienced this on any other plane.
Wing flaps:
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Here we are just after takeoff, you can see the three terminals of Sheremetyevo International Airport:
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Turning around:
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The window:
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The layout of the passenger area is 2+3 seats per row:
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Wingtip:
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This plane is only the third delivered SSJ 100 and includes all of the usual downsides, including a Spartan lack of features and not the greatest quality of construction. Or so we are to believe from numerous reviews. What did I actually see? The plastic of the interior paneling looks to be of good quality and is pleasant to the eye, with the exception of the flight attendant request buttons. The interior is well-lit and modern.
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Small, unfilled cracks between the panels, such as these, were the only thing I could classify as a sign of poor workmanship:
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There were no personal air vents, though the next version of the plane will allegedly have them. Either way, it isn’t much of an inconvenience. There were individual reading lights.
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We were given snacks. Quite sufficient for a 50-minute flight.
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The restroom is fairly comfortable, but there’s only one (the other is reserved for business class). It’s also located right in the middle of the kitchen. Luckily this is only temporary, as Aeroflot originally ordered planes to be built with two restrooms per section, but the manufacturer only had the means to build one, citing unscrupulous suppliers. Aeroflot has since promised to recall all the underequipped planes and refit them within the year.
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It’s a no smoking flight, but there still was an ashtray.
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Under the wing you can see the high-rises of Nizhny Novgorod:
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Nizhny Novgorod International Airport is a rundown shack dating back to the USSR. The fact that the advertised wi-fi doesn’t work is far from the worst feature. Too bad I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the baggage claim, that rusty conveyor belt was really something. It’s quite surprising that the airport is still in such terrible condition.
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