United Aircraft Corporation says the first Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) plane has been delivered to its inaugural European customer Irish airline CityJet.

Under the $1 billion contract, CityJet will lease 15 SSJ100 airplanes with an option for an additional 16 aircraft. The Irish airline will receive three aircraft in 2016, and the rest from 2017 onwards.

Sukhoi will provide CityJet with technical support through a 12-year service agreement.

“The delivery of our first SSJ100 is an important milestone for CityJet as we begin our fleet renewal program. This is a fantastic aircraft and we look forward to introducing our customers to its high level of comfort and efficiency in the coming years,” said Pat Byrne, Executive Chairman of CityJet.

Last year the Dublin-based company chose the SSJ100 to enhance its fleet and network development program. CityJet’s fleet renewal and expansion comes as a result of the company’s strong performance in 2015.

CityJet will continue its long-standing wet lease contract with Air France-KLM using the Superjets.

The 98-seat SSJ100 has been developed by the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company. It is an advanced and cost-effective commercial aircraft which can operate on short-to-medium range routes. It has a range of 4,500 kilometers.

Sukhoi is currently negotiating with the Egyptian airline EgyptAir to supply up to 40 SSJ100 aircraft. According to media reports, Danish airline Greenland Express is also in talks with Sukhoi to buy five Superjet planes.

Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson gave sermon at the service.

Armenia has called on Ireland to recognise as ‘genocide’ – the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turkish authorities.

The call was made by the Armenian Consul to Ireland at a service of remembrance in Dublin today, organised by the Irish parish of the Armenian Apostolic Church to mark the beginning of what Armenians call the ‘genocide’ against their race; perpetrated by the Ottoman authorities between 1915 and 1923.

Clergy from seven Christian denominations and a representative of the Jewish Community were among those in attendance at the service, which took place in Taney Church of Ireland in Dundrum, Co Dublin.
Turkey has said the killings and forced removals were the result of fighting against neighbouring Russia in World War I and reject the term ‘genocide’.

However the European Parliament and the Vatican has been joined this week by Austria and Germany – the Ottoman’s main allies in World War I- in branding the violence as ‘genocide’.

Similar ceremonies have taken place in independent Armenia and throughout the globe where the Armenian Diaspora is scattered.

The Turkish government has for the first time sent a minister to the Armenian Church’s commemoration in Istanbul however it withdrew its ambassadors from the Vatican and Vienna over their use of the term ‘genocide’.

Europe gets its first modern Russian-made airliners

Armenia Calls for Ireland to recognize Armenian ‘genocide’