UAC eyes a share in a Belarusian aviation plant

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation is considering integrating a Belarusian military aircraft maintenance facility into its component supply chain (Photo by Aviation Repair Plant 558)

Th Russian United Aircraft Corporation is negotiating buying a share of Baranovichi, a Belarus-based Aviation Repair Plant 558 (ARP 558). The Belarusian MRO provider, which is currently specializing in repairs and overhauls of military aircraft, may be partially converted into a producer of components for civil aircraft and as such be integrated into UAC’s supply chain.

The size of the UAC’s potential share has not yet been disclosed, but the deal may be closed in 2017, according to insider information.

The idea of integrating the Belarusian enterprise into the Russian corporation dates back to 2014. “We’ve got plans to develop serial production of aircraft components, and at the same time we’ll increase the production rates in the maintenance division,” a UAC spokesperson told RIA Novosti newswire. The UAC’s interest in ARP 558 is explained by the plant’s capabilities in providing repair and overhaul services on Russian-made combat airplanes and rotorcraft to foreign operators. Producing components for UAC’s commercial programs may become a side business for the enterprise. Integration into UAC will also open access to Russian state-run support programs for the Belarusian plant, and help it upgrade its production line.

The ARP 558’s director Vladimir Rybin told Belarussian media, that he expects non-military production to reach 25% of the plant’s output by 2025.

Presently, ARP 558’s main business is providing repairs and modernization to military operators of Russian made aircraft (Sukhoi Su-22, Su-25, Su-27, Mikoyan MiG-29 and Antonov An-2, as well as Mil Mi-8/17 and Mi-24 helicopters) in Belarus, in and out of the CIS.