Following RSK MiG's withdrawal from rival Tupolev Tu-334, airline signs deal to lease Antonov regional jets instead
Russia's second largest airline, GUAP Pulkovo, has signed a letter of intent with Ilyushin-Finance to take 18 Antonov An-148-100B regional jets on financial lease, following RSK MiG's decision to pull out of the Tupolev Tu-334 programme.
The deal, valued at an estimated $360million, provides a major boost for the 70-seat twinjet, which began flight-testing late last year. Pulkovo intends to firm up the An-148 deal before the end of March. The airline will take all 18 An-148s in standard configuration with 68 seats in two-class layout, equipped with D-436-148 engines. Delivery of the first three An-148s is scheduled for 2006, with the remainder following at a rate of five each year.
Pulkovo had previously considered acquiring up to 30 Tu-334-100s, but shelved the plans last month when RSK MiG confirmed it had disbanded its Tu-334 directorate and handed over the government-awarded rights for type production to Kazan Aviation Production Organization (KAPO). Although KAPO remains interested in producing the Tu-334, which has commonality with the KAPO-built Tupolev Tu-214, it will not be able to roll out the first example within the next two years.
The Tu-334 may fall out of the Russian government-sponsored programme for the construction of 145 passenger aircraft in 2005-2008, funded by leasing companies Ilyushin-Finance and Financial Lease; funding for the programme starts this year with Rb6billion ($215million) allocated in the 2005 Russian state budget. The programme calls for construction of some 50 regional jets, most of them An-148s, since its main rival, the Sukhoi-led Russian Regional Jet (RRJ), is lagging three years behind the Ukrainian design. The Russian government forecasts that Russian airlines will need 200 aircraft to replace their ageing Tupolev Tu-134 and Yakovlev Yak-42 fleets.
Three months ago Ilyushin-Finance awarded Voronezh Aviation Production Organization a $200 million deal for the first batch of 14 An-148s and these have not yet been delivered.
Ilyushin-Finance general director Aleksandr Rubtsov says most of the aircraft will go to KrasAir and Pulkovo, but slots are being retained for Aeroflot as the flag carrier is finalising an evaluation of the An-148-100A, along with the RRJ, Tu-334, Bombardier CRJ700 and Embraer 170 ahead of an expected order for 50 regional jets.
VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW
Source: Flight International
