New refit of the Tu-134 emerges at a significantly lower price than original proposal from Interavia consortium

Published: 11/23/1999

ZAO Interavia has decided to offer airlines a cheaper and simplified version of its Tu-134M retrofit programme, which was developed due to delays in the introduction of the 100 seat Tu-334. The original cost of modernisation, at $5-6m, proved beyond the reach of most airlines in the current finacial climate. ZAO Interavia formed by the 407 aircraft repair factory, Belavia airline (both based in Belarus), Tupolev, Komiavia (Russia), Motor-SICH, ZMKB Progress and the Kharkov state aircraft plant - has therefore been unable to find outside investors to support the project despite substantial extensions to the lives of the Tu-134 up to lives of 45,000 hours with a maximum of 30,000 landings over 30 years. In its modified form, the Tu-134 was originally re-engined to the latest ICAO Chapter 3 requirements with its D-436T1 engines. The revised Tu-134M"s new engines, D436T1-134s meet the standards and give much greater fuel economy than the original D-30. The new engines will give the modified aircraft greater range (1000km with 7t load) and less requirement for runway (by 300-350 m), in addition the Tu-134M promises fuel savings of 4.2t on a 2500km typical journey too and from a destination. However, the original avionics suite will remain unchanged in the ‘cheap M", thereby confining the use of the aircraft to CIS airspace despite meeting noise restriction standards. It is unclear whether the original plans to incorporate closed luggage racks and drop down oxygen masks have been included in the ‘cheap M". ZAO Interavia claims to have orders for retrofitting 60 Tu-134s. CIS operators have a total of 420 Tu-134s (out of 850 built in Kharkov between 1964 and 1984). Conversion into the M variant will be undertaken at the factory in Minsk, at a rate of 12 aircraft per year. The first airframe to be modified to the cheaper M variant is a Tu-134A, belonging to Belavia. It is intended to have the aircraft ready for flying in December 2000. After undergoing a test flight programme, the aircraft is likely to be offered for lease, at $500 per hour.

Article ID: 1123