PRESS: Russian govt wants to replace foreign planes with Il-96-400M

MOSCOW, Feb 14 (PRIME) -- The Defense, Industry and Trade Ministries and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) are to prepare a schedule of operations suspension for foreign wide-bodied long-range planes and to develop a plan of replacing them with Il-96-400M planes by February 20, Kommersant business daily reported on Tuesday citing sources familiar with the matter.

In accordance with President Vladimir Putin’s decision, the government is to spend 17.2 billion rubles on research and development of “deep upgrades” of the plane in 2017–2019, or use previously produced Il-96-400T cargo carrier editions of the planes to speed up research, Kommersant said, adding that preparation of the schedule will be done at the same time.

According to sources, the Industry and Trade, Finance, Economic Development Ministries, the Federal Air Transport Agency, and UAC are to choose a Russian leasing company that will receive a capital injection from the budget of more than 40 billion rubles for the purchase and leasing out of six Il-96-400M planes, the business daily said.

The possible operator of the planes is airline Red Wings, which will receive popular international tourist flight routes in a priority order. Another contender for budget financing is State Transport Leasing Company, Kommersant said.

A source close to national flag carrier Aeroflot told the business daily that the company will withdraw all 22 Airbus 300 planes and four out of 15 Boeing 777 planes from operation by 2025, but it does not plan to replace the planes with Il-96-400Ms.

Another source said that the ministries together with the Federal State Reserve Agency are also to prepare suggestions on quotas for aviation fuel from the state reserve to support exploitation of Il-96-400M planes.

The Transport Ministry, Industry and Trade Ministry, and UAC did not provide a comment.

The Il-96 plane with a carrying capacity of up to 330 passengers and the flight distance of 13,500 kilometers has been in production since 1987. The Il-96-400 edition uses PS-90A1 aviation engine and has an increased cargo carrying capacity.

(58.0619 rubles – U.S. $1)

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