UTair subsidiary to cut Tu-134, An-24 fleet

UTair (UT) subsidiary UTair Express (UR) will reduce its Tupolev Tu-134 and Antonov An-24 fleet significantly by 2012, when new federal aviation regulations take effect requiring all Russian aircraft to be equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS).

The regional carrier, formerly known as KomiInterAvia, will reduce its fleet to from 28 Tu-134s to 6-8, and from 25 An-24s to 15 of the type. UR’s fleet also includes two passenger-version An-26 aircraft.

The cost of the new equipment, including installation, is estimated to be RUR6-10 million ($192,000-$320,000) per airplane.

UR representatives speculate that some aircraft will be replaced with UT’s Boeing 737s, ATR-42s /-72s and Bombardier CRJ 200s, but concede these aircraft types may not be able to navigate the severe conditions at most Russian regional airports. They also noted that the Chinese-produced MA60 turboprop has much in common with the An-24, but the carrier has never approached China about acquiring the aircraft (ATW Daily News, Dec. 9).

Some of UR’s earlier Tu-134s operated for the East German state airline Interflug, which ceased operations in 1991, and were re-exported to Russia.