New Egyptian carrier Air Cairo became the first airline to take delivery of the RB211-535E4-powered Tupolev Tu-204-120 on 2 November. Two aircraft were delivered to Cairo - one passenger model and one freighter - at the start of a seven-year lease.
They are the first new generation Russian aircraft to be delivered to a foreign customer, and are the first of 30 firm orders by leasing company Sirocco Aerospace, which also has 170 aircraft on option. The Tu-204s were built at the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk.
They had originally been destined for delivery to Kras Air, the Krasnoyarsk-based former Aeroflot airline, but the Russian Government refused to exempt the deal from taxes on the Tu-204-120 and its foreign components, resulting in what would have been an extra $11 million charge on the $37 million aircraft.
Air Cairo, in which Sirocco parent Kato Aromatic of Egypt has a small shareholding, plans to use the passenger version to serve resorts on the Red Sea coast. It is possible that the cargo version could be sold on to another Egyptian operator.
Sirocco is planning to have the Tu-204-120 certificated by Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities to Joint Aviation Requirements 145 (JAR-145) and, together with its technical advisors - including Lufthansa Technik - the company has undertaken a detailed survey of the changes needed to achieve this. No major alterations are expected to be required.
The Egyptian airworthiness authorities have completed a detailed audit of the two aircraft and they have both now been placed on the Egyptian register.
Sirocco says that it expects to deliver a further three aircraft by the second quarter of next year, followed by seven more Tu-204s by the end of 1999.
The leasing company continues to list Kras Air as a future customer, although observers say this seems doubtful. Atlant Soyuz, and Lufthansa Cargo are thought to be potential customers.
Source: Flight International
