Russia’s largest aircraft lessor Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC) has dropped its earlier plans to purchase a number of newly built Tu-214 airliners. This decision was made on the ground of «inflated prices» charged by the airplane’s manufacturer, Kazan Aviation Production Association (KAPO).

Alexander Rubtsov, IFC general director said this during press conference on 24 December 2010, devoted to the lessor’s activities in the passing year. He confirmed that earlier this year his company purchased three used Tu-214s that were previously delivered to Transaero by another Russian lessor, Finance Leasing Company (FLC), – Transaero continues operating these aircraft.

Earlier this year a source at KAPO said a newly built Tu-214 with Perm PS-90A engines and cabin for 212 passengers is priced at US dollar 53 million. Today, KAPO has sufficient workload thanks to orders of Russian governmental structures for Tu-214 special mission aircraft, as well as repair and overhaul on earlier made strategic bombers.