Aviacor’s Samara plant will switch to servicing other types of aircraft, including imported ones, after the decommissioning of the Tu-154. The company expects that the remaining 25 Tu-154 planes will be in operation for at least 5-10 years. This is stated in the company’s annual report, cited by TASS.
“There is no potential for further development of this line of business due to the fact that the developer of the aircraft does not foresee any further modification of the Tu-154 project. However, as about 25 more Tu-154 type planes will be in operation for at least 5-10 years in the state aviation, the company will provide the operating organizations with spare parts and carry out overhauls in accordance with the requirements of the operational documentation. But given that in the future this type of aircraft will be taken out of service, it is expected to replace this type of business with maintenance and repair of other types of aircraft, including, possibly, imported production,” says the report.
The document also says that Aviakor may resume the An-140 aircraft construction programme, which was halted in 2015 due to the refusal of Ukrainian enterprises to cooperate, subject to import substitution of components. Most of the suppliers and the aircraft’s developer, SE Antonov, are located in Ukraine; after the 2014 coup d’état, cooperation between Ukrainian enterprises and Russian customers was terminated at Kiev’s initiative.
“…given the refusal of Ukrainian enterprises to cooperate, the An-140 aircraft construction programme has now been halted. But the enterprise is ready to carry out maintenance and repair of this aircraft type to maintain its operation. In the event of implementation of an import substitution programme for An-140 components and systems, the enterprise is ready to resume production of these aircraft,” the report states.
Aviacor is one of Russia’s largest aircraft manufacturing companies. Previously, the plant manufactured the most mass-produced Soviet Tu-154 passenger jet. In 2003, the plant began producing turboprop AN-140 aircraft, but in 2015 the production programme for these aircraft was suspended due to the situation in Ukraine. Now the plant is engaged in overhaul and maintenance of the Tu-154 and An-140, as well as the supply of components for various types of aircraft.
Since March 2022, Aviacor has been involved in the cooperation of Russian enterprises to develop the TVRS-44 Ladoga aircraft. Under the contract with the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, the Samara-based company is to produce four fuselages for testing and certification of the aircraft. The first of these four fuselages will be demonstrated in 2023.
