Russia's presidential carrier, GTK Rossiya, is reported to have run out of cash to pay for the engine maintenance necessary to keep much of its fleet airborne.
Rossiya, the corporatised carrier which handles Government transport, has eight of its 13 Ilyushin Il-62s and four out of 11 Tupolev Tu-154Ms grounded because of a lack of overhaul work on their Rybinsk Motors D-30 turbofans. Rossiya also has a Yakovlev Yak-40 and a single Ilyushin Il-96-300.
Rybinsk claims that 37 engines in the fleet are being operated beyond the stated lifetime limits.
Two of Rossiya's Mil Mi-8APS helicopters, mainly used by the Russian president and prime minister, are also awaiting the payment of repair bills at the SPARK overhaul plant in St Petersburg. Rossiya offered a barter payment in coal, but the plant is demanding cash, according to local press reports.
SPARK had also been holding back around 20 Mi-8 helicopters for Russia's Federal Borderguard Service (FPS) because of non-payment of bills.
It was forced to hand them over without payment in July, however, to allow the FPS to patrol the border area with Finland where President Yeltsin was on holiday.
Source: Flight International
