Aviaexport Plans to Increase Civil Aircraft Deliveries to Asia

Despite its limited participation in Asian Aerospace 2002, Russia intends to exploit the potential of Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region for further strengthening of its aircraft exports.

According to Aviaexposervice director Professor Alexander Voinov, increased emphasis is being put on recently developed aircraft types. Among them is the 27-seat An-38-100 light transport. Designed to fly on regional routes of up to 1,800 kilometers, the An-38 will replace obsolete An-2, An-28, L-410, An-24 and Yak-40 airplanes.

Indian Airlines has made a preliminary request for 45 An-38-100s. Negotiations with Vietnam are under way, and plans are being made for certifying the aircraft in Malaysia. The example displayed statically and in demonstration flights at Changi is currently on lease to a Malaysian operator.

NAPO, the Novosibirsk-based production factory, expects to deliver to up 170 multirole An-38s to domestic and export markets in the period to 2010. The basic price tag for the TPE331-powered ­100 variant is $4 million.

Asian customers are demonstrating strong interest in the Beriev Be-200 and Be-103 amphibians. Experts estimate that the world market for the Be-200 may total 350 units by 2020. The twin-jet amphibian is expected to sell for $22-$24 million.

The five/six-seat piston-twin Be-103 has good market prospects too. Russia's Forest Guard Service has placed a launch order for six. The Be-103 completed certification testing last December and has received its CIS type certificate. The test program totaled 161 flight hours in 263 flights, of which 59 involved water takeoffs.

Beriev is promoting the Be-103 for such applications as coastal, river and border patrol, air ambulance and aerial firefighting. Russia's Federal Border Service is showing interest in the airplane, which has also attracted inquiries from several Southeast Asia countries as well as Israel, Greece and France. Beriev is also targeting the U.S. market, where it expects the TCM IO-360-powered amphibian to sell for around $600,000.

Aviaexport is here in Singapore promoting the medium-haul Tupolev Tu-204 and Tu-214 twin-jets, the Ilyushin Il-114 regional airliner, Il-103 multirole lightplane, Antonov An-74 and Il-76 airlifters, and the Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters.

All these aircraft are in commercial production, have international airworthiness certificates, are ready for export in both passenger and cargo versions, and can be fitted with Russian or Western engines. According to Aviaexport's Alexander Voinov, the company's program aimed at boosting helicopter exports has resulted in increases in overseas sales of 32% in both 2000 and 2001.

Though industry observers see limited opportunities for promoting Tupolev's twin-jet Tu-204 and Tu-214 in world markets dominated by Airbus and Boeing, Voinov says Aviaexport expects to increase export deliveries of both aircraft in the next few years. In the Middle East Egyptian carrier Cairo Air currently operates four Tu-204-120s and plans to buy another five or six. Follow-on sales of up to 12 aircraft per year are expected to increase Cairo Air's Tu-204 fleet to 36. A contract signed in September 2001 will see five Tu-204S cargo aircraft delivered to China in 2002-03. Aviaexport hopes that a preliminary request from Chinese carriers for an additional ten Tu-204-120s in cargo and passenger versions will be turned into a firm contract.

By Nikolai Novichkov