Ulyanovsk asks for Antonov to lose extension rights

Published: 4/24/2000

The long running dispute between the Antonov Design Bureau and operators of the An-124-100 regarding life extensions, has led Yuri Goryachev, the governor of the Ulyanovsk region, to approach the Russian government with the suggestion that the Russian Aerospace Agency, the FSVT and the Ministry of Justice can decide who has the right to authorise life extensions for the air frames. Many of the aircraft in service are reported to be over due for extensions and by the middle of this year will exceed 8000 hours of flying, a figure well beyond the official 6,000-hour extension requirement. Discussions concerning the cost of the procedure have been underway since June of last year, but given the governor"s comments it appears they are not going well. The Antonov bureau are reported to be keen to sell additional hours on the airframe, but in small periods and at what is considered by operators to be too high a cost. Given that some operators are keen to extend up to 30,000 hours time selling is seen as being unworkable. Goryachev argues that Antonov are abusing their current holding of the rights and argues that Antonov"s objective, which also operates a heavy lift cargo carrier, is to push its competitors; mainly Ulyanovsk based Volga Dnepr, out of the market, despite Antonov having a shareholding in the latter. It is difficult to believe that the government will respond favourably to the suggestion that rights should be taken from Antonov unilaterally, as many of Russia"s design bureaux are surviving on life extension revenues. The government would therefore be reluctant to set a precedent, given the potential revenue ramifications for those bureaux. Goryachev is however, further motivated push for the transfer of extension rights given that extension revenue would undoubtedly flow in part to the manufacturing plant for the An-124-100, Aviastar, based in Ulyanovsk. Associated articles: www.concise.org 15th June 1999: Volga Dnepr seeks to take action on An-124

Article ID: 1577