Leasing deal in principle on 14 aircraft (181 words)

Published: 2/20/2001

Alexander Rubtsov (General Director of Ilyushin Finance) has allegedly signed a cooperation agreement with a new regional airline alliance called Aeroplan Alyans (Alliance), comprising Sibir and Kasair. Sibir has been rumoured to be considering Tu-204 leasing agreements with Kavminvodavia and CentreAvia, but it asserts that this is untrue. Rubtsov has however, signed a leasing agreement with Moscow carrier, Atlant-Soyuz, for 14 aircraft over the next 12 years. The deal for the cargo aircraft (10 Il-96-400Ts and 4 Tu-204s) has been in the pipeline for 18 months. This is only the first stage in the agreement process. Finance has yet to be put in place and aircraft specifications confirmed - a process that could take up to twelve months. Rubtsov may be congratulated for his acute sense of timing, given that the presentation of the new aerospace plan is scheduled for 1st March and Rubtsov himself has been instrumental in leading the pressure for a realistic financing structure to be put in place as part of that plan.

Article ID: 2368