NEWS (August, 2006)

AVIASTAR-SP CELEBRATES ITS 30-TH ANNIVERSARY

    On Russia’s Air Fleet Day Aviastar-SP is going to commemorate its 30th anniversary. On 10th of June 1976 after geodesic checking the first foundation pile of the first building of future aircraft manufacturer was drove in the ground.
    The history of UAIC dates back to 16th of April 1975 when the Communist party issued the decree of foundation of the factory in Ulyanovsk to manufacture wide-fuselage airplanes. Rather experienced in aircraft construction Apollon S. Systsov, who later would become Minister of Aviation Industry of the USSR, was appointed the factory’s General Director. In September last year a monument to this notable man was set up at Aviastar headquarters.
    It was All-union Accelerated Komsomol Construction of aircraft factory that had no analogues due to the scale and engineering solutions. 70 research and development institutes of the USSR were involved in projecting the factory. Several lines of activity were developed: the factory and a huge housing estate were erected simultaneously. All this resulted in considering Ulyanovsk-based aviation complex a fine specimen of industrial architecture and nowadays an equal manufacturing enterprise can hardly be found in Russia.
    Employees were recruited by the factory from all sides of the country and trained at the relevant enterprises.
    In November 1981 the first AN-124 fuselage was put in aircraft assembly jigs and on 31st October 1985 it performed its first check flight. Total quantity of AN-124 freighters manufactured in Ulyanovsk makes up 35. To date Aviastar-SP manufactures AN-124-100M version that meets all modern technical requirements.
    In 1989 the process of middle-range passenger TU-204 airplane manufacture started. In August 1990 it performed its maiden flight. Modern aerodynamics, fuel-efficient and low noise engines made the airplane competitive on both domestic and international aviation markets. To date Russian and foreign airlines operate 30 TU-204 family airplanes.
    It happened for the first time in the contemporary history of Russia when Ulyanovsk aircraft started to be exported to the Arab Republic of Egypt. They still continue to be delivered.
    In 2005 Aviastar-SP produced and released into Vladivostok Avia’s service 4 aircraft of upgraded TU-204-300 version. This is a unique airplane: the first universal airliner capable of operating throughout short-, middle- and long-range trunk routes.
    All four TU-204-300s operated by Vladivostok Avia have proven high efficiency of this liner class. Average flying time has already exceeded 300 hours per month that is a record among long-range aircraft of either Russian or Western manufacture. Thus our airplanes are in flight for more than 12 hours a day.
    The great contribution of Ulyanovsk and Tupolev aircraft manufacturers is a creation of completely export-shaped TU-204-120CE aircraft provided to the People’s Republic of China. The next task of Aviastar and Tupolev design bureau is to develop similar completely export-shaped aircraft with Russian PS-90 engines. This task is being fulfilled by the factory which at the same time is assembling the first TU-204-CE liner for Cuba.
    The aircraft of TU-204 family, produced by Aviastar, have performed more than 45 thousand flights, more than 125 flying hours, and have conveyed approximately 5 millions passengers and 350 thousand tons of cargoes. This is a significant contribution of our factory to the development of the Russian Federation’s transport branch.
    Aviastar-SP is the biggest enterprise in Russia and Europe involved in long-range aircraft production. Huge production facilities make different processes available. Practically all types of processing operations from stamping and machining up to final assembling and testing take place. The factory also provides aircraft after-sales and guarantee support and produces non-aircraft goods.
    To-date organization structure, experienced managers and intense employment of the youth make it possible to improve the factory’s management.
Contracts and agreements for production of 24 TU-204 family aircraft for Russian and foreign companies are in Aviastar’s order book. 4 airplanes (two TU-204-120CE for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and two for Cuba) will have been delivered to the Operators by the end of 2006.

CSC 'Aviastar-SP' PR Department. Tel.: 29-17-18, 29-28-07, 29-09-22