Story ID: 014regionalsupdateAINMarch12.doc
More Powerful SaM146 Certified
By: Gregory Polek
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Word Count: 117
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted type approval in late January to Franco-Russian engine maker PowerJet for a more powerful version of the SaM146 turbofan. Designated the SaM146 1S18, the engine offers 16,100 pounds of takeoff thrust, compared with the 1S17’s 15,400 pounds, thereby increasing the Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 LR’s mtow and extending its range to 2,470 nm with a full passenger load. 
  
From April through the end of last year, SaM 146s logged more than 6,500 flight hours while recording a 99-percent dispatch reliability rate, according to PowerJet. Five SSJ100s flying for Aeroflot and a single example flying for Armavia have served more than 40 destinations since the airplane’s introduction last April.