OREANDA-NEWS. August 12, 2011. ANTONOV Company transferred the AN-148-100 regional jet built at ANTONOV Serial plant to Ukrainian International Airlines. It is planned that the airplane will perform both domestic and international flights. Boris Kolesnikov, Vice-prime-minister of Ukraine - Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine participated in actions. When making speech in the solemn meeting he said: “It is an important event within the limits of the programme the Government starts: to stimulate Ukrainian airlines to purchase domestic aircraft and to renew their fleets with new airplanes of the AN-148 and AN-158 types developed by ANTONOV Company”. Transfer of this airplane is the first step of realization of the “Letter of Intent on purchase 50 airplanes of the AN-148 and AN-158 family in order to transfer them to domestic airlines on condition of financial leasing” signed by managers of ANTONOV Company and “Leasingtechtrans” State Company. It became a result of the works conducted in accordance with the decisions made on May 19 on a conference presided by Boris Kolesnikov. According to him “The task of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine is to provide airlines with profitable leasing conditions subject to which they work, for example with Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier. Our task is that the Ukrainian airlines use the Ukrainain airplanes”.

It is the third AN-148-100 airplane being transferred to the Ukrainian airlines. Two aircraft are operated by “AeroSvit” airlines. Starting from June 2009 these airplanes have already mastered about 30 domestic and international routes, transported more than 140000 passengers. Up to 280 flight hours per month has one airplane. The AN-148 works in Russia as well: 6 airplanes in “Rossiya” airlines JS and 1 airplanes were passed to “Polyot” airlines.

As D. Kiva, President - General Designer of ANTONOV Company notes: “Transfer of the AN-148 to another one airlines is an important event both for our enterprise and all participants of the programme. The airplane with confidence masters air lines. It is important that passengers like it. Today relying on the results of the work of the first AN-148 airplanes on commercial lines we do all our best to provide complex support of the customer in any day of the week by day and night. To train the pilots we designed and certified a complex stimulator allowing to imitate and, correspondingly, to practice all the situations which happen during flights”.

 “I am sure with such tempos during several years ANTONOV Company will revive belief in Ukrainian aviation building”, noted Boris Kolesnikov, Vice-prime-minister.

For the inquiry: the AN-148 regional jet of a new generation is intended for transportation of 68-85 passengers at a range up to 4400 km. It is a compatible product designed in Ukraine by ANTONOV Company with participation of 30 enterprises of Ukraine and about 200 enterprises of 14 other countries of the world. Production of the AN-148 in conditions of a wide cooperation is launched in Ukraine and ANTONOV Company and in Russia - at Voronezh Aircraft Building JSC, developed in Ukraine at ANTONOV Company with participation of 214 leading design bureaus, scientific research institutes and aviation enterprises of 15 countries of the world.

The AN-158 99-seater is the further development of the AN-148. Till present 67 airplanes of the AN-148 and AN-158 family have been ordered. A work on forming of the contracts on 175 airplanes is being conducted.