First Tupolev-204 cargo plane arrives in China, Tupolev - ОАО "Туполев"

Release Date: 2008-10-28

Moscow/Ulyanovsk, 28th Oct 2008

The first cargo airliner Tupolev-204, built at the Russian aircraft-making factory in Ulyanovsk, in the Volga River basin, by order of the People’s Republic of China, landed in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Oct 28th 2008. It is the first of five such planes which Russia will supply to China as part of a 2001 contract.

The cargo plane TU-204-120CE (factory number 030) was transferred to the customer, Chinese company Air China Cargo, during a ceremony at the tarmac of the JSC Aviastar factory in Ulyanovsk the day before (Oct 27th). After the speeches, Aviastar general director, Victor Mikhailov, the president of Egyptian company Sirocco doctor Ibragim Kamel, and the chairman of the board of directors of Air China Cargo Li Huxiao signed the certificate of reception-transfer. Also present were representatives from Open Society Tupolev, State construction holding United Aircraft Corporation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and officials from civil aviation bodies of China. The plane left Ulyanovsk at 2300 on October, 27th, 2008and touched the tarmac in Tianjin at 7:10 on the following day.

The new mid-range cargo aircraft TU-204-120CE is equipped with Rolls Royce engines RB211-535, and an “English-language cockpit” with English language data representation for the pilot. The plane has increased cargo volume thanks to an additional cargo cabin in the tail.

Two more TU-204-120Se planes are to be transferred to Air China Cargo in 2009. The contract also assumes an option of up to 10 more airliners.
The Tupolev-204 received the certificate of type VTC0185A from Chinese aviation authorities in July, 2007. On October, 8th, 2008 the European agency on aviation safety (EASA) also certified the plane, a fact which opens an additional window of opportunity for sales in the European market.

Type:	NORMAL
Company:	Tupolev - ОАО "Туполев"
Country:	Russian Federation