The ceremony of the first Tu-204-120CE delivery to Air China Cargo was held on the territory of Aviastar-SP Flight-Test Centre in Ulyanovsk on October 27.

The Acceptance Certificate was signed by Mr. Viktor V. Mikhailov, General Director of Aviastar-SP, Dr. Ibrahim Kamel, President of Sirocco Aerospace International, Mr. Li Huxiao, Air China Cargo Chairman. Export Certificate of Airworthiness and a/c symbolic keys were presented to the Chinese party.

The Contract on the delivery of five aircraft (with an option of up to ten aircraft) to PRC was signed by Tupolev, Aviastar-SP, Aviaexport and Sirocco Aerospace International in September 2001.

“The Contract was the initiative of Aviaexport. We found a foreign partner who believed in Russian aviation industry and invested a large sum of money in it,”- said Mr. Felix Myasnikov, President of Aviaexport.

The reasons for delay of Contract’s execution were both technical equipment and  politics. We shall also consider that this is the first airplane with “English” cockpit. The process of certification lasted for seven years. And finally on October 8, 2008 the Tu-204-120CE received EASA Certificate EASA.IM.A.162 confirming that the aircraft corresponded to JAR-25 standards. 

Tu-204-120CE is one of the most perspective Tupolev export programs. The aircraft is equipped with RB-211-535E4-B-75 engines, Vibrometer (USA) engine control system, Sundstrand (USA) generators, Vickers (USA) hydraulic pumps, inertial navigation system, TCAS systems and Honeywell (USA) EGPWS. This equipment has Certificates of Compliance with European Aviation Norms and are delivered to Aviastar-SP by Sirocco.

This aircraft can carry up to 27t of cargo and has a range of 3000km. And when cargo weighs 10.5t the flight range increases up to 7400km.

The Chinese are fully satisfied with the aircraft. During the flight tests the aircraft performed 133 flights. It was tested by Russian, English and Chinese test pilots. Technical experts also inspected the aircraft in detail. “They fully appreciated the airplane,’- said Mr. Sergey Milyukov.

The Chinese company Air China Cargo is the biggest cargo company in China established in 2003. At present time the company operates one Boeing 747-400 Freighter, four Boeing 747-200 Freighters and eight Boeing 747-400 Combis. Now the company’s fleet has been enlarged by the Russian Tu-204-120CE. At 11.00 p.m. (MSC), October 27 aircraft left for China and at 7.10 a.m., October 28, landed in Tianjin.

Air China Cargo plans to operate Tu-204-129CE on domestic air routes to Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. According to the contract the company plans to buy three aircraft of this family. “It is yet too early to speak about plans for future, they will depend on the effectiveness of the aircraft operation and situation at the market,”- said Mr. Li Huxiao.

Dr. Ibrahim Kamel pointed that there are no problems with after-sale service and Aviaexport president said that after-sale service issues make the essential part of the contract. “Despite the signed Contract on aircraft delivery, we have also signed the Contract on aggregate delivery. The item reg. crew training is also included in the contract,”- said Mr. Felix Myasnikov.

Today there are two near-to-completion aircraft in Aviastar-SP assembling department. But they don’t have engines and the European equipment, delivered to the factory by Sirocco. One aircraft is still “green” and the other is painted in Air China Cargo colors.

The second plane is almost ready and even painted; it is European equipment that must be received from the Buyer. All the works on airframe and boarding systems on the third aircraft are finished.  Now only payment is needed to fit the airplane with BFEs. “But this process will start only after the delivery of the second plane,”- added Mr. Sergey Milykov.

“I always say that Russia is not an alien country to me. I am satisfied with my work in Russia. The second plane will be ready in 90 days,”- pointed Dr. Ibrahim Kamel.

«AVIAPORT.RU» 30.10.2008