Published: 10/29/1997

Tupolev's Aviation Scientific Industrial Complex (ANTK Tupolev) reviewed its leadership on 5 August. Lev Khasis became the chairman of the council of directors, while Igor Shevchuk is now General Director. Igor Shevchuk, born in 1953, is a graduate from the Moscow Aviation Institute. Since 1977, he has worked at Tupolev on the Tu-160, Tu-144, Tu-204, Tu-324 and Tu-334 programmes. Before becoming the General Director, Shevchuk headed the powerplant department. In an interview with ConCISe, Shevchuk said, "The situation at Tupolev is difficult, but I believe in a bright future for the company. The interest from operators in the Tu-204 grows day by day. We've got 30 firm orders already and many more are coming." Shevchuk has managed to receive support from the Ministry for Economics for the 50-seat Tu-324 twin-jet. Cash under state guarantees from Russian and Tatarstan governments is coming for setting up the production line at the KAPO factory in Kazan. "The plane shall be certificated in 2001. If we are a year late, the market for the Yak-40, An-24 and Tu-134 replacement, estimated between 300 and 400 units, will be lost to foreign manufacturers", he says. Shevchuk has promised to put the 100-seat Tu-334 jet in the air this year. The factories in Samara and Kiev are actively preparing to produce the type in close co-operation. Touching on competition for cargo aircraft, Shevchuk said, "We will be in a very aggressive position in this market to win the battle with the An-70, as the Tu-330 will be two times cheaper". Shevchuk believes that "aviation is a big business and big politics". He says, "I am convinced that co-operation between Boeing and Tupolev on the future supersonic transport is necessary if we are to have such a plane in the next ten years. One manufacturer cannot handle the project, it can be done only by an international effort." Born in 1966, Lev Khasis is a graduate of Korolev's Aerospace Institute of Samara and Moscow Financial Academy. Before becoming the president of Aviacor (Aviation Corporation International) joint-stock company in September 1994, he was acting director of Samara Trade House and vice-president of AvtoVAZ bank. In 1997 Khasis became chairman of the directors council at Aviacor, and then at Tupolev. Khasis belongs to the so-called "new generation of Volga entrepreneurs". Under his supervision, Aviacor reduced the work-force from 24,000 three years go, to 10,000. Khasis comments, "We stopped the practice of building 'white tails' a long time ago. Instead, we lay down a new airframe only if we have a firm order for it". Ten new Tu-154 airliners are in various stages of completion. These have been ordered by Iran for Bonjad Air and Mahad Air for delivery by the end of this year. Khasis says that last year Aviacor sold "at least ten airframes". The latest delivery took place in July 1997, to Ros-shina company, the airplane went into service with Tumen Airlines. Khasis says, however, that Aviacor is going to terminate Tu-154M production"by the turn of the century". Partly, this is caused by many second-hand Tu-154s on the market - in all over 1,000 units have been manufactured, flying with 42 companies. Whereas the factory offers the Tu-154M at $18m, OmskAvia has recently acquired a Tu-154M from the Nicaraguan government for just $3m. In 1996, the Samara regional administration granted Aviacor its guarantees for Rbs300bn for setting up production of the 100-seat Tu-334 jet. Preparations are in full gear for the An-70 freighter and 52-seat An-140 turboprop commuter.(IN1097.3) (VK)

Article ID: 56