DHL is one of the 15 operators of the Russian medium-range jet airliner operates a Tupolev Tu-204-100C for its cargo operation.
With an average age of around 17.8 years, the aircraft has been with DHL since it was initially delivered in July 2005.
A Brief History of Tupolev Tu-204
Introduced in 1989, the aircraft was first designed to compete with the medium-range jet airliner category, predominantly the Boeing 757. It was developed initially for Aeroflot and a replacement for Tupolev Tu-154, a three-engine medium-range narrow-body aircraft designed by Tupolev Design Bureau.
With around 86 Tupolev Tu-204 built to date, Aeroflot has historically used only 3, with 1 being stored currently and the rest 2 being used by Tupolev Design Bureau.
Although formerly designed to compete with the Boeing 757, the Tupolev Tu-204 is a "family of aircraft", operates as a passenger, cargo, combi, and several other variants.
With aircrafts being modernized and technologically equipped, Tupolev Tu-204 is no less. Several features such as fly-by-wire systems, glass cockpits, and wings /tails being resistant to anti-ice build-up is the only airliner not equipped with anti-icing systems.
The aircraft is manufactured at Russian manufacturing plants in Ulyanovsk and Kazan, the largest in the country.
The aircraft is also developed in several variants to fit the needs of consumer's, the basic passenger/cargo service model Tu-204C(-100, -120C) to the Tu-204SM model, which is the alternate Tu-204CM, has upgraded CMS, wide LCDs, HUD displays, updated passenger cabin accommodates, increased in reliability and many other features.
Where is the Tupolev Tu-204C of DHL Now
Besides an average year of 17.8, the RA-64024 was originally delivered to Primer airlines in 1999 according to planelogger.
The aircraft consequently served several airlines (Aerofrieght, Aviastar-TU, and ATU Cargo) with the same registration till 2003.
The Tupolev Tu-204-100C is the basic freight model and is powered by 2 Soloviev PS90 turbofans.
Furthermore, the aircraft later served Aviastar-TU and ATU Cargo for the next 2 years with several registrations like LY-AGT.
In 2005, RA-64024 was delivered to DHL, which is currently operated by Aviastar-Tu, which is a cargo charter, operating from the Ramenskoye Airport in Moscow, Russia, and presently has a fleet of 7 aircraft, with 4 Tupolev Tu-204-100C.
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