OREANDA-NEWS. July 31, 2007. At ANTONOV ASTC the AN-148 regional passenger airplane of a new generation was presented to the managers of Russian airlines. The presentation has been organized with the assistance of “Illushin Finance Co.” Russian lease company, which is the constant partner on promotion of the AN-148 to the Russian and world market.

The presentation programme was opened by Dmytro Kiva, General Designer, who told to the representatives of Polyot, UTair, Russia, Gazpromavia airlines about process of the AN-148 programme and plans on the further development of this successful project. After that the guests visited flight and test base of the ASTC in Gostomel. They visited the AN-148 and were familiarized in details with its design features, airborne equipment, maintainability and airdrome maintenance technology. Questions on arrangement of training of the airlines’ flight crews and ground maintenance personnel were discussed in the ASTC training centre. In particular it was agreed to start the first crews training in January 2008. After that leading specialists of ASTC answered numerous questions of aircraft operators.

Summing up results of the meeting, Aleksander Lebedinets, Deputy Director on passenger transportations of Polyot airlines said: “Today we had a good possibility to familiarize in details with one of the most perspective of our civil airplanes and to receive answers all questions troubled us. It was very important for Polyot airlines because we had already concluded the first contracts on AN-148s delivery. We are sure: it is really modern airplane. Without any doubt it will be widely used in Russia and Ukraine”.