Tu-204SM to be supplied 2012 - source

MOSCOW, February 20 (Itar-Tass) -- Supplies of Tu-204SM medium-range
planes is expected in 2012, Vice President of the state-run United
Aviation Corporation /OAK/ Alexander Tulyakov told a news conference.
The Red Wings is the "major client," he said. The order is for about
44 planes, and the batch production will be between 2012 and 2016.
"The capacities of the Aviastar-SP are sufficient for that," he added.
"The project is complicated and it requires efforts from several
authorities," he continued. "Now, a commission uniting different
authorities is settling all the issues."
"One of the major matters is the high pricing for the components, but
we managed to discuss it with suppliers, and the prices will be lowered,"
he said.
The enterprise will support technically Tu-204SM's living cycle.
"The budget has financed the design works, they were completed
successfully, and I am sure the demand for the planes will be high,"
Tulyakov said.
The Tupolev Tu-204 is a twin-engined medium-range jet airliner capable
of carrying 210 passengers, designed by Tupolev and produced by
Aviastar-SP and Kazan Aircraft Production Association. First introduced in
1989, it is considered to be broadly equivalent to the Boeing 757 and has
competitive performance and fuel efficiency in its class. It was developed
for Aeroflot as a replacement for the medium-range Tupolev Tu-154 trijet.
The latest version, with significant upgrades and improvements, is the
Tu-204SM, which performed its first flight on 29 December 2010.