Airliner World — September 2017

10 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2017

News Review • CIS

S7 Goes Neo

S7 AIRLINES has become the first car-

rier in Russia to operate the Airbus

A320neo after taking delivery of its

maiden example. The Pratt & Whitney-

powered jet, VQ-BCF (c/n 7629) –

one of 19 on order including three

A321neos – is on lease from BOC

Aviation and was handed over to the

Novosibirsk-based operator on July 21.

The oneworld alliance member has

configured the aircraft in a 164-seat,

two-class layout including eight in

Business and 156 in Economy. It joins

the airline’s existing fleet of 44 A

Family aircraft. (Photo Eurospot)

Ryanair Confirms

Ukraine Withdrawal

IRISH LOW-COST carrier Ryanair has

abandoned plans to launch services

to Ukraine. The Dublin-based airline

was intending to open bases in Kiev

and Lviv (with four and seven routes

respectively), but confirmed on July 10

it was scrapping the proposal following

a dispute with Kiev/Boryspil.

Ryanair said the move had been driven

by the airport’s “failure to honour a

growth agreement” signed by the two

parties in March, adding the facility

“has instead chosen to protect

high-fare airlines (including Ukraine

International Airlines)”. The carrier’s

Chief Commercial Officer David

O’Brien added: “On behalf of Ukrainian

visitors and consumers, we regret that

Kiev Airport has demonstrated that

Ukraine is not yet a sufficiently mature

or reliable business location to invest

valuable Ryanair aircraft capacity.

Kiev Airport’s failure to honour

commitments will result in the loss of

over 500,000 customers and 400 air-

port jobs in the first year alone, which

would have provided a significant

boost to the Ukrainian economy. We

regret also that Lviv Airport has fallen

victim to Kiev Airport’s decision.”

Ryanair, which will transfer this capacity

to “competing markets”, confirmed all

passengers booked to fly on its now-

axed Ukraine services will be refunded.

Flying the

Flag

ILYUSHIN’S RECENTLY re-launched

Il-114 turboprop has received a

major boost after Russian lessor

State Transport Leasing Corporation

(GTLK) signed a commitment for 50

examples at MAKS 2017. The deliv-

ery schedule and other key details

of the deal have not been disclosed,

though the manufacturer said a pre-

liminary agreement could be reached

before the end of the year.

The letter of intent marks the first

commercial interest in the type –

production of which was suspended

in 2012 – since its revival last

year. The introduction of a much-

modernised variant of the 52-seat

aircraft was personally approved

by President Vladimir Putin, who is

championing the use of domestically

produced equipment by Russia’s

airlines and armed forces. Future

assembly is expected to be under-

taken at the Sokol Aircraft Plant at

Nizhny Novgorod, though a timescale

has yet to be announced.

Elsewhere at the airshow, Saratov

Airlines signed a letter of intent for

six Irkut MC-21-300s. The jets,

which are expected to replace the

carrier’s outgoing Yakovlev Yak-

42Ds, will be acquired from Russia's

Ilyushin Finance under a 12-year

lease agreement and are slated for

delivery between 2022 and 2025.

More Superjets for Aeroflot

AEROFLOT HAS firmed up an order for a

further 20 Sukhoi Superjet 100s. The deal,

announced at the International Aviation and

Space Salon MAKS 2017 on July 18, fol-

lows the memorandum of understanding

signed in January 2015. It increases the

Russian flag carrier’s commitment for the

regional jet to 50 examples, 30 of which

are already in service with the Moscow/

Sheremetyevo-based airline.

Commenting on the order, Aeroflot CEO

Vitaly Saveliev said: “We understand the

importance of supporting domestic

production, which the Russian President

has spoken about on many occasions.

Throughout its history, Aeroflot has played

a unique role as the main consumer of

Russian-made aviation technology. We

are putting Russian aircraft into the skies,

helping to fine-tune them and deploying

them widely on commercial routes. I am

confident in the further development of

our co-operation in the interest of Russian

aviation and our country as a whole.”

The incoming SSJ100s will be configured

in an 87-seat, two-class layout, including

12 in Business and 75 in Economy. The

first example is due to be handed over

imminently with deliveries expected to be

completed by next July.

Airbus Debut

Nordwind Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330s. The two former Turkish Airlines

examples, VP-BYU (c/n 1213, ex TC-JIV) and VP-BYV (c/n 1221, ex TC-JIY), arrived at the

carrier’s Moscow/Sheremetyevo base on July 7 and 11 respectively and were initially put to

use on services to Irkutsk and Khabarovsk. ALEXANDER MISHIN/TRANSPORT-PHOTO IMAGES

Azimuth Set for Launch

RUSSIAN START-UP Azimuth Airlines has
moved a step closer to launching ser-
vices after taking delivery of its maiden
aircraft. The two Sukhoi Superjet 100s,
RA-89079 (c/n 95128) and RA-
(c/n 95129), are the first of an initial
batch of four new-build examples
being acquired under a 12-year
agreement with the State Transport
Leasing Company (GTLK).
The incoming aircraft, which pave the
way for the airline’s first scheduled flight

planned for September, will be used

initially on domestic services from the

new carrier’s Rostov-on-Don base.

According to Swiss airline intelligence

provider ch-aviation, the privately-funded

carrier consists primarily of ex-Donavia

employees and is expected to relaunch

many of the routes previously flown by

the former Aeroflot subsidiary (now part

of Rossiya), including international links

to Yerevan, Istanbul and Dubai. (Photo

Fyodor Borisov/Transport-Photo Images)