Tekhnospetsstal Engineering, St.Petersburg, has signed a contract with the Tashkent-based Chkalov aircraft production association to purchase 30 Il-114 planes before 2008, the press service of the Uzbek company told Itar-Tass.
Tekhonospetsstal Engineering Director General Vitaly Kislichenko said he was confident that the deal would be successful.
"Russia is due to decommission almost half of its civil aircraft within the next two to three years; the greatest need is for medium range 40- to 60-seat aircraft," Kislichenko said.
"It is the Il-114 that will replace Yak-40 and An-24; this plane has excellent prospects," he added.
According to the Director General of the Chkalov production association Vladimir Kucherov, the contract with the St.Petersburg-based firm - the largest in the past few years -- opens fine prospects for his company.
The advantage of the Il-114 model is that both the passenger and transport versions are available. It can be customized to have an improved T
Its crew of two can pilot the plane at any time of day or night and in adverse weather conditions. Its range is 2,500 kilometers; the plane can be operated for up to ten hours a day.
Compared with the older An-24 plane, its fuel consumption 80 percent lower.
The Vyborg airline has already purchased several Il-114 planes. These aircraft are also used by the Russian Navy.
The Tashkent aircraft maker is among the world`s five largest manufactures. It was established on the basis of the aircraft plant evacuated to Uzbekistan in 1941 from the town of Khimki outside Moscow.
Aside from Il-114, it also producers Il-76 transport planes and wings for An-70 planes.
