Thursday, October 30, 2008

Iranian interest in the Antonov-148 jet


From PressTV:
A senior Ukrainian official has revealed that Iran is to purchase and later produce a version of the Ukrainian-made Antonov airplanes.

Dmitro Kiva, chairman of the Kiev-headquarters of the Antonov Aerospace Company, announced that Iran "will fully participate" in the subsequent production of Antonov-148 mid-range passenger jet, Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.

The An-148, developed in Ukraine during the 1990s, is a twin-engine high-wing passenger plane designed for operation at rough airfields.

The Ukrainian official stated that the Iranian national aviation authorities are holding talks with their Ukrainian counterparts to make a version of An-148 which would be suitable for Iran's terrain.

"The Iranians are absolutely interested, they want to go forward on this," Kiva said.

Some 16 Russian and Ukrainian airlines and Cuba's national Cubania de Aviacion have voiced willingness to purchase An-148 once its production has begun.

The price for an An-148 once in production line would be between 18 and 22 million dollars depending on configuration, according to the Antonov Company.

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