Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Mar.5
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
National Uzbek airline, Uzbekiston Havo Yullari will build a hangar for maintenance of aircraft Boeing-787-800 Dreamliner worth $40 million, a representative of the airline told Trend March 5.
The agency's spokesman said that the construction of the hangar began in 2014 and will be completed by the end of 2016.
The project is financed by a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan in the amount of $28 million and equity of the airline.
It was previously reported that Uzbekiston Havo Yullari signed contracts with Boeing in 2008 for the purchase of two Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner aircrafts and the spare engine totaling $246.4 million.
Delivery of the first Boeing-787-800 Dreamliner and the spare engine is expected in June 2016, and Uzbekiston Havo Yullari NAC will receive the second plane in August 2016.
Currently, Uzbekistan Airways has 13 Boeing aircraft (four Boeing -767-300 aircraft, five Boeing -757-200 and four Boeing- 767-300ER) in its fleet.
In 2014, two Boeing-767-300ER aircraft were re-equipped from passenger to cargo Boeing-767-300BCF aircraft. Commercial aircraft loading is 53 metric tons. The planes were re-equipped by Boeing company at the aircraft repair base in Singapore. The cost of the work was not reported.
Since the beginning of March 2015, these planes have launched regular cargo flights from Navoi airport, and an international intermodal logistics center is located on its base.
Uzbekiston Havo Yullari NAC is the monopoly carrier in Uzbekistan and is wholly owned by the state.
Uzbek airline fleet currently consists of 31 aircraft of western production, including 13 Boeings (four 767-300, five 757-200 and four 767- 300-ER), 13 airbuses (three A-310 and 10 - A-320- 200), three medium-range RJ- 85 planes and four cargo planes - two A300-600F and two Boeing-767-300BCF.
In 2014, the Uzbek airline decreased the transportation of passengers by 1.9 percent, or up to 2.625 million passengers compared to 2013. The volume of freight transportations (including baggage transportation) increased by 4.6 percent, up to 43,000 metric tons in 2014.
Aircraft airlines implement flights from Uzbekistan to 21 cities in Europe, America, Middle East, Asia, to 22 cities of CIS countries and on 11 destinations for local airlines.