Voronezh Aircraft Production Association

Voronezh Aircraft Production Association

Company type	Joint-stock company
Industry	Aerospace, Aircraft manufacturing
Predecessor	Voronezh Aviation Plant
Founded	1932 in Voronezh, Russia
Fate	Incorporated into United Aircraft Corporation in 2007
Headquarters	Voronezh , Russia
Area served	Russia, international (component supply for Airbus)
Products	Aircraft (Il-96, Il-112V, Il-114, An-148), aircraft components (for Il-76MD-90A, SSJ100, MC-21), PD-14 engines
Owner	JSC Ilyushin Interstate Aircraft-Building Company (30.0%), JSC Ilyushin Aviation Complex (27.1%), Private investors (42.9%)
Parent	United Aircraft Corporation (since 2007)
Website	vaso.ru

Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (commonly known as VASO in English and ВАСО in Russian, Воронежское акционерное самолётостроительное общество, which translates as Society of Voronezh Joint-Ownership Aircraft Builders) ranks among the largest aircraft manufacturing enterprises within Russia.

History

Established in 1932 in the city of Voronezh under the name Voronezh Aviation Plant (branch registry number 18), VASO was incorporated into the state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in 2007.

The facility is recognized for producing several significant aircraft models, including the An-148—which did not enter commercial production due to failure—the Tu-28 until 1970, and the Tu-144, with sixteen units completed between 1967 and 1983. It also manufactured the Il-86 until the dissolution of the USSR, and continues limited production of the Il-96, at a rate of fewer than one unit annually. Other notable aircraft produced here include the Il-28 (production ceased in 1970), the pre-WWII ANT-25, WWII-era planes such as the TB-3 and Il-2, as well as the mid-20th century Tu-16, which was retired during the late Soviet period, among others.

In July 2009, UAC announced plans to allocate 5 billion rubles (approximately $162 million) toward upgrading VASO’s manufacturing infrastructure. The corporation projected the production schedule for the An-148 passenger aircraft as five units in 2009, eighteen in 2010, thirty-six in 2011, and an annual output of fifty planes from 2013 onward.Template:Fix/category

From 2008 through 2015, VASO contributed components for Airbus models A320 and A380.Template:Fact

Beginning in 1993, the plant initiated development on two modernized versions of legacy Soviet aircraft: the wide-body Il-96-400M and the Il-112V. Nevertheless, its annual revenue remains below the average cost of a single wide-body airliner.Template:Fact

Operation

The facility manufactures IL-96-300 and IL-96-400T models, along with components for Il-76MD-90A, SSJ100, and MC-21 aircraft. It also produces PD-14 engines. Development efforts are ongoing for the Il-112 and Il-114 airplanes. Until 2018, the company collaborated with Ukraine to manufacture the An-148 aircraft.

In addition, the plant provides maintenance services for IL-96 and An-148 models.

All test flights take place at the experimental airfield in Pridacha.

VASO Airlines

For a brief period, the enterprise operated a charter airline division named VASO Airlines. Founded in 1999, this airline ceased operations in 2006.

File:VASO Airlines Ilyushin Il-86 JDK.jpg

An Ilyushin Il-86 operated by VASO Airlines

Ownership structure

• JSC “Ilyushin Interstate Aircraft-Building Company” – holds 30.0% of shares
• JSC “Ilyushin Aviation Complex” – owns 27.1% of shares
• Private investors – control 42.9% of shares

Incidents

On March 5, 2011, an An-148 aircraft accident occurred in Belgorod Oblast during a training flight involving VASO test pilots and crew from Myanmar. All six occupants onboard lost their lives.

External links

• Official website of VASO Archived 2021-07-22 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
• Voronezh aircraft production association