The Russian Aviation Consortium (RAC) has declared that there will be no winner in its tender for delivery of 50 regional airliners for three Russian airlines. The deals will now be negotiated independently.
Last year the RAC revealed that it was seeking bids from manufacturers to supply aircraft for Murmansk Airlines, Tyumenaviatrans and Vnukovo Airlines. Now RAC says that none of the proposals fully met the bid requirements.
The airlines will continue negotiations with manufacturers separately. Vnukovo says it is interested in acquiring Boeing 717s and 737s. Tyumenaviatrans will discuss purchasing Canadair Regional Jets from Bombardier.
Boeing was unable to meet the RAC's requirement for an aircraft in the 50-70 seat class and Bombardier could not offer anything in the 100-seat category. Neither Bombardier or Boeing accepted RAC's requirement to establish maintenance and training centres and logistic spares depots in Russia. Both said that deliveries of aircraft could not begin until 2001.
Tupolev offered a mix of its 50-seat Tu-324 regional jets and Tu-334 100-seaters. Neither aircraft has yet flown.
Source: Flight International
