OREANDA-NEWS. ANTONOV ASTC was visited by the participants of the Intergovern-mental Ukrainian-Cuban Comission on questions of commercial and economic as well as scientific and technical cooperation.

This visit demonstrated the increased interest and aspiration of both parties for cooperation in the sphere of aviation. Today Cuba operates about 40 multipurpose AN-2 biplanes, 10 transport AN-26s and 2 regional passenger AN-24s. Deliveries of the aircraft to Cuba were started 35 years ago. Specialists of ANTONOV ASTC communicate with their operators, providing engineering services, in particular, on extension of service-lives of these airplanes. However, because of necessity to renew the existing fleet of the airplanes, the Cuban airlines express the interest in the modern and perspective ANTONOV programmes. Let’s remind that on August 22, 2007, during MAKS-2007 International air show, “Aviaimport S.A.” Cuban company and “Ilushin Finance” leasing company concluded memorandum of understanding in which Cuban party expressed its readiness to increase the fleet of “Cubana de Aviacion” with 3 AN-148 regional jet airplanes during 2008-2011. The airlines of Cuba have also expressed the intention to purchase AN-38 light multipurpose airplanes for operation on tourist routes.

During the visit to ASTC the members of the Intergovernmental Commission has been familiarized with the possibilities of different versions of AN-148, AN-38, AN-140 regional turboprop airplane, AN-3 light biplane and AN-74 multipurpose turbojet airplane. The representatives of Cuban party expressed their interest in leasing of AN-140 airplanes with possibility to start their operation at the beginning of 2008.