Long delayed deliveries resolved(289 words)

Published: 3/27/2001

According to Arslan Ruzmetov, General Director of Uzbekistan Airlines, the carrier intends to finally take delivery of three of the much-delayed Pratt & Whitney powered Ilyushin Il-114-100s, from Tashkent-based TAPO. According to reports at least two of the aircraft were due to have been delivered in June of last year, but were delayed by the absence of engines. The state-owned airline expressed the intention, in April of last year, to buy 10 aircraft, developed with a high level of involvement and funding from the Uzbek Government, which, according to Ruzmetov, will provide state guarantees for leasing the PW-127H engines. The airline already operates 2 Il-114s, powered by Klimov TV7-117 engines, which are not in fulltime operation, partly because of the short TBO time of the engines and also because of reports that they provide insufficient power for the aircraft. Ruzmetov has been quoted as saying that the engines “are immature for everyday service” and Klimov has failed to fulfill an undertaking made in 1998 to extend the TBO from 300 hours to 800 and then 1,500 hours (some reports have suggested even longer). He also added that there have been two in-flight engine failures. In both cases the aircraft landed safely. In one incident however, the aircraft actually flew 120kms before landing, only to have the remaining engine fail shortly after. Reports had 11 of the $8m aircraft on the production line at TAPO last year. Unfortunately, there have been no reports of sales, although expressions of interest have reportedly been received from Perm and also from a leasing company based in Singapore, following the aircraft's display at Asian Aerospace 2000.

Article ID: 2444