GTLK to get more government money

GTLK already owns the largest fleet of L-410s in Russia (Photo by Orenburzhye airline)

Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order to top up the capital of GTLK State Transport Leasing Company with 5 billion rubles ($76.8 million). According to the lessor, the funds will be used to purchase four Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) aircraft, which will be produced in 2018, and locally assembled Czech L-410 regional turboprops.

This marks the second year in a row that GTLK receives state financial support. Last year 30 billion rubles were allocated to the lessor for purchase of 32 SSJ 100s, which were then leased to Russian regional carriers on favorable terms.

As reported earlier, 4 out of 5 billion rubles which GTLK will receive this year, will be spent on SSJ 100s.

L-410 will be assembled in Russia by Yekaterinburg-based Ural Works of Civil Aviation (UWCA, part of Rostec). Construction of production facilities for the type has already commenced. Some 1.43 billion rubles will be invested in the project. Out of this amount UWCA will contribute 200 million rubles. The company  is expected to deliver the first six L-410s to its customers next year. Starting from 2019 the production rate should reach 12 aircraft a year, and may increase to 20 aircraft per year later on.

GTLK has already agreed to get five L-410 from UWCA, but the delivery schedule has not been announced yet. As of mid-2016 the lessor has already owned the largest fleet of this type, 18 aircraft.