Russian Presidential Property Management Department obtains first two Tu-214 aircraft

The Kazan’s KAPO Gorbunova aircraft producer has today delivered two Tu-214 vehicles to the President of Russia’s aircraft division at a testing field in Kazan.

Attendees at the presenting symbolic keys to the plane ceremony were the Prime Minister of Tatarstan Roustam Minnikhanov, KAPO’s General Director Vasil Kayumov, United Aircraft Corporation’s President Alexei Fyodorov, Tupolev’s President Igor Shevchuk and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Enrpereneurs’s head Alexander Shokhin.

The Tatar prime minister spoke to the guests and the plant’s staff. “We have a great feast today. Eleven our Tu-214s are already flying, but today we are delivering brand-new machines,” he said. The plant has successfully implemented a contract, entrusted to it by the presidential team, he said. Mr Minnikhanov went on to thank all who participated in the work. “These are brand-new vehicles that meet the customer’s every specification, and the manufacturing standard is the highest, “he enhanced.

“We are living through difficult times, we should be happy to get such orders. The Kazan’s plant is going through a complicated procedure of joining the United Aircraft Corporation. This is our joint project,” said the premier.

The head of government presented government awards to aeromechanics and engineers who made a strong contribution to the development and construction of the vehicles, as well as to the KAPO’s trade union’s chairman Albert Chudakov.

The plant’s general director Vasil Kayumov thanked the Tatarstan’s government for support in the difficult time. He gave the prime minister a thank-you letter and a Tu-214 replica.

The United Aircraft Corporation’s President Alexei Fyodorov said hard work of KAPO’s entire staff was invested in the two vehicles. “These machines will have to perform serious government tasks. They are the first in a series of vehicles to be launched here, at KAPO. The customers criticised us for delaying deliveries, that were a little shifted. But we have finally lived to see the solemn moment. These vehicles are the first but far from the last. A whole series of various versions for various purposes is being manufactured in the plant’s workshops. I am sure that high-quality machines will be timely delivered to the customers,” he said.

The contract for delivering two Tu-214 airplanes for the President of Russia’s property management department was signed in October 2006. The Tu-214 is an improved passenger and cargo version of the Tu-204 and is designed to transport cargo and people for medium and long distances. The maximum number of passenger seats is 210.

After the ceremony, the two aircraft soared into the sky, setting a course for Moscow.