US lessor Willis signs MOU for six SSJ100s

Sukhoi SuperJet 100. Photo: Courtesy, Sukhoi Company.

SuperJet International and US lessor Willis Lease Finance Corporation signed an MOU for the purchase of six Sukhoi SuperJet 100s plus four options. The deal has an estimated value of up to $300 million, Superjet International said.

It added that the first delivery is scheduled for September 2012 and the aircraft will have a standard 98-seat single-class configuration.

"The Sukhoi Superjet represents a significant advancement in the regional jet market and we believe it fills a need for efficient and affordable transportation to smaller regional centers," Willis Lease President and CEO Charles Willis commented. “In addition to the strong potential we see for developing new regional markets throughout the world, we believe the transaction is a strategic one for us," he added. The lessor did not say where it intends to place the aircraft.