NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE
Chinese authorities have tentatively allocated the bulk of the Tupolev Tu-204s they are preparing to order from Russia to four carriers, as negotiations reach the final stages, in the hope that a deal can be announced next month.
Industry sources in China say it has now been provisionally decided that aircraft will be allocated to China Northwest Airlines, China Southwest Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and China Xinjiang Airlines.
The sources say it is hoped the deal, covering between 10 and 32 aircraft (Flight International, 5-11 June), can be announced at next month's summit in Moscow between Chinese president Jiang Zemin and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Putin will visit China on 14 June but it is thought a deal will not be ready in time.
The sources add that the four airlines have already been told by the Civil Aviation Administration of China that they will be allocated the aircraft, and have asked that at least some of them are freighters. The planned order is part of a Chinese drive to improve ties with Russia, which has complained that the country is relying too much on products from Airbus and Boeing.
Talks are thought to be covering aircraft equipped with Russian Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines, rather than those with Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofans. They come as China has warned that deteriorating relations with the USA may have a negative impact on planned aircraft orders from Boeing.
Source: Flight International
