Uzbekistan, Tashkent, August 14 / Trend D. Azizov /
The National Airline Uzbekistan Airways has suspended the construction of maintenance center for western aircrafts based on the Chkalov Tashkent Aircraft Production Association for an indefinite period, the airline told Trend.
A decision was made to stop the project to optimize the cost of the company and given the present demand for the repair of western aircrafts from other countries.
According to the company, the airline has orders for maintenance of aircraft for the next 10 years.
At the same time, the airline expands its own fleet. "Uzbekistan Airways" intends to buy 16 western planes worth $1.136 billion and seven IL-114-100 till 2017.
A decision was made not to proceed with the expansion of repair facilities already operating at the Tashkent airport in connection with the expenditure on the purchase of aircrafts and the need to reduce costs.
The Uzbek government made a decision to build a service center for western aircrafts on the basis of TAPOiCH worth $ 39 million in July 2009.
Airlines received a number of vacant production sites. Technical maintenance center must be built there.
It was planned that the technical maintenance service center will carry out 24 forms of maintenance of western aircrafts through C-CHECK (basic service with the elements of repair). Uzbekiston Airways Technics (Overhaul division of Uzbek Airlines) was to manage the center.
The project must be financed by the Uzbek banks' loans worth $ 18 million, foreign loans - $18.2 million, as well as Airlines' own funds - $2,8 million.
The State Unitary Enterprise Uzbekistan Airways Technics is the largest aircraft repair plant in Central Asia. It was commissioned in 1994. The annual program of the center has 36 forms of C-Check and 215 A-check (a linear service) for western made aircrafts.
The Uzbek national airline allocated about $20 million to develop the center. Germany's Lufthansa Technic and Hudro-Geratebau GmbH supply equipment.
Liners from Azerbaijan, Italy, Iceland, Mongolia, Russia and Turkmenistan passed technical maintenance in the center of the Uzbek airline.