commercial aviation | programme
The construction of the two An-148s for Myanmar (presumably, c/n 41-01 and 41-03) is to be complete by VASO in November this year. Before year-end, the plant could assemble one more An-148 designed, probably, for the Polyot airline (completion of two aircraft c/n 41-04 and 41-06 was slated for December
www.take-off.ru
previously). “The company plans to launch An-148 operations in 2011”, Polyot Director General Anatoly Karpov said during the signature of the contract on 12 October. UAC’s news release dedicated to this mentions that “delivery of An-148 planes to the Polyot company will begin in March 2011, but the contract also provides for ahead-of-schedule deliveries as well”. According to Irkut’s 2010–2020 An-148 sales plan obtained by the Vedomosti daily, potential Russian customers for the airliner include such carriers, as Moscow Airlines (which could buy up to 30 aircraft), Vladivostok Avia (4), Cuban Airlines (4), Saravia (6), Moskovia (10), Angara (2), Grozny-Avia (2), Kolavia (4), Taimyr (10), Krasavia (15), Dagestan Airlines (15), etc. In addition, Sergey Belov, Director General of the Rossiya state-owned transport company, said during the air show in Kiev that his company was intent on exercising its nine An-148 options in the future. The Defence Ministry, Emergencies Ministry, Ministry of Interior, and Aviation Department of the Federal Security Service could be among Russia’s governmental customers for the An-148. The Presidential Administrative Office may buy more planes of the type. As of the past summer, several Indian carriers as well as Venezuelan, Bolivian and Cuban ones were among potential foreign buyers.
IFC is having negotiations about An-148 and An-158 regional jets leasing with clients from South-East Asia (China and Vietnam) as well as from Latin America (Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Cuba). Following IFC Director General Alexander Rubtsov not only Russian but foreign companies as well have strong interest in new Russian- and Ukrainian-built aircraft and have need of leasing services. That’s why IFC has begun expansion of its business abroad. A contract was signed with Venezuela on founding a leasing company on a shared basis. The work of founding the same companies in South-East Asia and the Middle East is under way. Negotiations are held with major financial institutes from China and Iran. Mention should be made that the first year of scheduled operation of An-148s by Russian and Ukrainian air companies has been quite successful. Despite several unavoidable teething problems inherent in any advanced hardware, both operators and passengers praise the airliner. This, coupled with the impressive potential orderbook, makes the An-148’s future bright enough. The manufacturer has only to increase the output rate, stick to high quality standards and pay closer attention to the wishes of the users.
take-off november 2010
29