Manufacturing agreements signed with Aviant and KAPO, but output at RSK MiG in doubt
Tupolev's Tu-334 regional jet has received a major boost with a consortium headed by the design bureau contracting for the production of at least 100 aircraft. The consortium, called Project 3000, also comprises several banks. It plans to lease the 102-seater to operators with a guaranteed annual utilisation of 3,000 flight hours.
Agreements have been signed with two Tu-334 production plants - Aviant in Kiev and KAPO in Kazan - for 20 and 100 aircraft, respectively. According to Aviant general director Oleg Shevchenko, Aviant would produce 20 Tu-334s for Project 3000, with funding for construction to be provided by the customer. Aviant itself will not invest in production, he says, adding that exact dates of aircraft deliveries have not been finalised.
Aviant has completed two Tu-334s so far, which together with the Tupolev-built prototype are undergoing tests to lift the temporary flight limitations that are in place following Russian AP-25 type certification earlier this year.
KAPO's commitment for 100 Tu-334s calls for 12 aircraft to be built in 2007 and then 20 annually from 2008, at a price of $15-16 million each. The aircraft will be owned by the banks investing in Project 3000, and the consortium is in talks with VneshTorgBank, Sberbank and other large Russian banks.
Meanwhile, the future of Tu-334 production at the RSK MiG's Voronin plant is again in doubt, following the appointment of Irkut president Alexei Fedorov as RSK MiG general director/general designer last month. Just before this appointment RSK MiG reached agreement with the Moscow City government and the Bank of Moscow over an $80 million loan for initial Tu-334 production at the factory in Lukhovitsy near Moscow. To date, 15 Russian airlines have signed letters of intent for 130 Tu-334s.
VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW
Source: Flight International
