Agreement signed with Perm and Aviadvigatel (270 words)

Published: 8/19/2001

Volga Dnepr (VD) has announced that it has signed an agreement outlining its intention with Perm Motors (PMZ) and Aviadvigatel to re-equip its D-30KP-2 powered Il-76T with the PS-90A-76, in order to allow the cargo carrier to meet ICAO noise and emission standards and more urgently - European enforcement of the standards from 1st April 2002. According to Alexander Stepanenko of VD, the PS-90 option was chosen as the fastest way of achieving a suitable upgrade at a suitable cost. VD claims that the five engines required will not be new, but overhauled, in order to reduce the cost of certification. The VD arrangement comes after Victor Mikhailov, President of the Russian Air Cargo Operators Association, had expressed concern that the new regulations spelled a death knell for his association's fleet of over 40 Il-76Ts, which represents 60% of the revenues of his members including VD, Atlant Soyuz,Atran, East Line, Rus and Tezis. He suggested that the association would look for a collective solution of re-engining. According to Yury Reshetnikov, General Director of PMZ, the last stage of the PS-90A-76 certification will be part-financed by VD, in return for the company attempting to keep the price of VD's five engines to a minimum for VD's two Il-76s. It is unclear as yet who will install the engines, as the design bureau and producer's responsibility seems to be mostly technical and design support. The planned re-engining appears to be separate from TAPO and Ilyushin's Il-76TF, a stretched version of the original aircraft, with PS-90s.

Article ID: 2715