NEW YORK; NY: India is to buy Soviet built commercial airliners for its government owned domestic carriers Air India and Indian Airlines, the New York Times has reported.
This is the first time it has brought Soviet commercial airliners which generally have a reputation of high fuel consumption and maintenance costs than their western counterparts,
Twelve aircraft medium range Tupolev TU204’s and the long range Ilyushin 96’s are to be brought. Initially the government is to lease two Ilyushin 62 and one TU 154 jets. These aircrafts will be manned by Soviet crew though Cabin Crew will be Indian. The move underlines India’s continuing closeness with Moscow which has supplied India with most of its military hardware including, recently, a nuclear powered submarine,
The payment of these aircrafts will be in Rupees which means that the Soviet Union will spend the money it gets in India.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 20, 1989
