Russian-built planes idled by lack of spare parts

Up to 200 planes made in the Soviet Union and Russia are currently idled abroad by a lack of needed replacement parts. Igor Yemelyanov, general director of Avia-Spare Parts, made the assertion in a press briefing attended by Rosbalt. Until the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Yemelyanov said, his firm had provided maintenance services in 67 foreign countries for planes made in the Soviet Union. Currently, the number of countries using Soviet- and Russian-built aircraft is down to 30, a cut of more than half. 'At present, we are actively working in 17 countries, including India, Algeria and Pakistan. We are starting intense negotiations on cooperation with China,' he said. Possibilities for good cooperation now exist, he said, thanks to Avia-Spare Parts' direct ties to the producers of spare parts (more than 250 firms) in Russia and in the other republics of the former Soviet Union.

He said that, in addition to bolstering its position in the international market, the firm plans to enter the domestic market for the repair of existing air fleets. 'In the next two to three years, we plan to open aviation-technology bases-our own service centers-both in other countries that use our aircraft and at home. We are currently working toward a single electronic data base on spare parts for planes made here,' Yemelyanov said. 'Avia-Spare Parts wants to position itself as the first comprehensive Russian air service covering the whole range of steps: from original order to acceptance on delivery.' Similarly, Yemelyanov said, the company hopes soon, in cooperation with Ros-Aviation-Space, to work out a plan for the development and servicing of a number of military and scientific 'space projects,' specifically those calling for satellite monitoring of the resources of planet Earth and space.

Avia-Spare Parts was formed in 1967 by decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR to bring together 18 specialized enterprises in the field of maintaining Soviet aircraft and other aviation-related technology. The combined enterprise was restructured in 1990, becoming Avia-Spare Parts, which has since been privatized as a joint stock company.