On April 30, at the ANTONOV Company a ceremony of transferring of the next AN−158 regional jet to the customer took place. This aircraft was built at the ANTONOV serial plant for the Cubana de Aviacion. Mykola Podgrebelnii, Vice – President – Director of the ANTONOV serial plant, in his welcoming speech noted: “Today we transferred the 4th AN−158 to the Cuban operator. Before the end of the year we are planning to deliver two more such airplanes and VIP−version of the AN−148. Thus, we are doing the next step to rising serial production of these aircraft in Ukraine. A lot of knowledge, skills of constructors, scientists, masters and workers are put in this AN−158 that is rushing towards the sky and is going to fly to Havana in few hours”. Mykola Podgrebelnii handed over a symbolic key from the aircraft to Orlando Fernandez Sid, a pilot of Cubana de Aviacion. Sharing his impressions about the AN−158, Cuban pilot noted: “We are satisfied with the aircraft quality. It was successfully adapted in our airline. Today the AN−158 fly inside Cuba, to Santa Domingo, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Bahamas. We are also planning to open flights to Canada, Columbia and Mexico”.
Besides, the airline also received a copy of Addition to the AN−158 Type Certificate that let the aircraft to be operated in highlands at airfields, located at heights of up to 4100 m above sea level. This will let to extend conditions of the aircraft operation in the Latin American region considerably.
Bohdan Dubas, the First Deputy Chairman of Kyiv State Administration (KSA), congratulated the ANTONOV’s Company collective with execution of another stage of the AN−158 program on behalf of the KSA. In particular, he said: “Today’s event became one more witnessing of that Ukraine belongs to the leading aviation states. This potential is necessary to be increased. Creation of such good aircraft needs wide and lots of years’ experience. We support the ANTONOV’s collective in keeping potential intellectual basis in every possible way”.
Source / Author: Antonov
Photo: Antonov