Il-62 replaces Il-96 after airline finds it "unsuitable" (230 words)

Published: 7/25/2001

Despite trumpeting the return of the Il-96-300 Domodedovo Airlines (DAL) on its Sunday flight on the route to Yakutsk from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on the 15th of July, at a cost of $330 one way for a seat in the aircraft's business class, with the cheapest ticket on the aircraft $165 one way. DAL has now decided the aircraft is unsuitable for the route and has returned to the tried and tested, although expensive Il-62, for the six flights a week on the route. The switch to the Il-62 after such a short period follows a long effort on the part of DAL to replace the Il-62s with the new Il-96-300s on the long haul routes since taking delivery of three Il-96-300s in the period before mid 1999. At that time, reports suggested that the airline had overcome its problems with the aircraft, particularly with its PS-90 engines, and was getting 13-hour day utilization. In the absence of other explanations from DAL, the speculation can only be that the aircraft is continuing to live up to the reported opinion of Aeroflot ground crew, that the Il-96-300 is the “ best three engined aircraft in the world” given that this is the peak season for travel in the region. DAL's competition on the route is three flights a week provided by Sakha-Avia that uses a Tu-154M on the route to Sheremetyevo Airport. State owned Yakutia Airlines also operates three flights a week.

Article ID: 2665