Ruslan back in production?

[Lyulka]

Aviastar Co. to make 127 planes within 10 years

The Aviastar aircraft manufacturers, based in Ulyanovsk on the Volga,
has a development programme to produce 127 aircraft within the next ten
years, announced Sergei Kiriyenko, presidential envoy plenipotentiary
to the Volga federal district, and Aviastar Directors' Board chairman.

The programme envisages an enhanced output of TU 204 liners. The
Aviastar intends to overtake manufacturing contracts for new-generation TU
334s from a company based in the Moscow environs. It assumes Ruslan
maintenance, and will determine whether it is worthwhile to resume
production of those jumbo jets.

The Aviastar, Europe's largest aircraft works, has many excessive
production facilities, and is pondering over prospects to launch manufacture
of non-aviation commodities. Such prospects are only tentative, and no
practical estimations have been made for now.

Mr. Kiriyenko does not think an acting contract with the Egyptian-based
Sirocco Aerospace is enough to get the Aviastar working at full load.
The directors think it will be worthwhile to cede a part of its
government stock to corporate trustees who would guarantee steady orders for
five aircraft a year.

/RIA Novosti/