Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 22 / Trend, D. Azizov /
Uzbek national air carrier of Uzbekistan Airways last week received the third of four Boeing-767-300ER Extended Range aircraft, an airline representative told Trend on Wednesday.
The first two of four Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, an order for which was placed by the airline in 2008, were received in February 2012.
The contract with Boeing to buy four Boeing-767-300ER and two Boeing-787-800 Dreamliner aircraft as well as a contract with Airbus Industrie for the purchase of ten A-320-200 aircraft was signed in 2007-2008. The total contract value amounts to $1.027 billion, including the cost of the contract with Boeing - $577.5 million.
Funding for the purchase of new equipment is provided by the airline (10 percent of all aircraft) as well as loans from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan (50 percent) and foreign banks (40 percent).
In accordance with the approved schedule, in 2012-2013, the company will receive four Boeing-767-300ER aircraft with PW 4062 engines with a total value of $347.6 million, in 2013-2014 - four A-320-200 aircraft with CFM-56-5B engines worth $190.9 million, in July-August 2016 - two Boeing-787-800 Dreamliners with GENX-1B64 engines worth $230.4 million.
The start of deliveries of Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner aircraft has not yet been reported.
In December 2011, a contract was completed for the supply of 10 A-320-200aircraft purchased from Airbus Industrie.
Currently, the company's fleet consists of 30 western aircraft, including 12 Boeing (four 767-300 and five 757-200 and three 767-300ER), thirteen Airbus (three A-310 and ten A-320-200), three medium-RJ-85 and two cargo Airbus A300-600F.
The airline also operates six Il-114-100 aircraft. A new generation Russian equipment has been installed on a modified IL-114-100 aircraft along with the latest American Rockwell Collins avionics, Canadian Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Hamilton Sundstrand (USA) propellers and the auxiliary power unit of Honeywell (USA).
In 2013, the airline also plans to get the last of the IL-114-100 seven aircraft manufactured by TAPOiCH. Currently, the airline operates six IL-114-100 aircraft.
Uzbekistan Airways NAC is the monopoly air carrier in Uzbekistan, wholly owned by the state. Uzbek airline operates flights to 21 cities in Europe, America, Middle East, Asia and in 22 of the CIS countries and in 11 directions on local airlines.
In 2012, the airline increased the transportation of passengers by 13.5 percent to 2.636 million passengers compared to 2011, whereas freight volumes fell by 17 percent to 40,000 tons.