Aging Russian TU-154 jetliners to be replaced in 5 years

TallDutch · Post by **TallDutch** » 17 Feb 2007, 21:15

Aging Russian medium-haul airliners Tu-154 and Tu-134 will be phased out of commercial use within the next five years, the country's transport minister said Saturday.

"Tu-154 and Tu-134 jets will [eventually] be discharged from the fleets of passenger airlines," Igor Levitin said. "But they still have about five years to go. Russia has got about 270 such jets, and there is no alternative to replace them with at this point."

Levitin leads a government panel probing the August 2006 crash of a Tu-154 jetliner in Ukraine, one of three major air disasters involving Russian planes and airports in 2006.

The plane, operated by St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airlines, crashed August 22 near the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk while carrying out a flight from the Black Sea resort of Anapa. All the 170 people on board - 160 passengers and a ten-member crew - died in the crash.

According to a report released by the investigator panel Saturday, that particular crash was the result of crew error rather than a technical failure. Yet, Russia's aging commercial aircraft fleet is widely seen as the main danger to air safety.

The Russian government has recently launched projects to replace the old Tu-154 and Tu-134 models with more technologically advanced SuperJet-100 and MS-21 mid-haulers. But these aircraft will not enter service until 2012.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070217/60893629.html

Post by **ElcoB** » 17 Feb 2007, 22:17

"All 14 Tu-134 planes in the Aeroflot fleet will be withdrawn from operation by January 1, 2008,"
"Tu-134 and Tu-154 airliners will be replaced by new-generation aircraft, especially the promising Russian SuperJet-100 short-range plane, which has been developed by the Sukhoi design bureau and whose delivery is expected to begin in late 2008, and medium-range A320 airbuses."

Russia's Aeroflot to replace Tu-134 planes by 2008

That's only one of other press-releases.
They are under pressure too from the European Community :

Several Russian airlines banned from flying to Europe

But all depends from the reorganisation of the Russian Aviation-industry, financing and joint-ventures with Boeing (superjet-100) and others.

The year 2008 may be crucial since there are elections for a new president who will determine the (financial)priorities.

Will UABC take Russian aircraft-makers out of spin?

Superjet to be tested for strength

vc-10 · Post by **vc-10** » 20 Feb 2007, 21:32

What will Aeroflot replace their Tu-134s with? More Airbuses?

fokker_f27 · Post by **fokker_f27** » 20 Feb 2007, 23:24

They where cool aircraft, but they couldn't last forever.

To VC10:

"Tu-134 and Tu-154 airliners will be replaced by new-generation aircraft, especially the promising Russian SuperJet-100 short-range plane, which has been developed by the Sukhoi design bureau and whose delivery is expected to begin in late 2008, and medium-range A320 airbuses," the press office said.

Ozzie1969 · Post by **Ozzie1969** » 21 Feb 2007, 11:10

vc-10 wrote:What will Aeroflot replace their Tu-134s with? More Airbuses?

Why not the Tupolev 204?

tsv · Post by **tsv** » 24 Feb 2007, 23:25

Ozzie1969 wrote:
vc-10 wrote:What will Aeroflot replace their Tu-134s with? More Airbuses?
Why not the Tupolev 204?

Tupolev's after sales service is not competitive with A&B. Availability of spares is another problem.

The aircraft itself is pretty good but not qite competitive with A320's due to it having a higher weight. Similalry the PS-90 engine is not quite as reliable or efficient as current western models.

Finally the delivery schedule is slow and uncertain although this seems to be improving to some extent.

Unfortunately the TU-204 will mainly be sold to countries who don't want to do business with the west.