OREANDA-NEWS. December 17, 2012. Ilyushin Finance Co. leasing JSC got a new AN-148-100E regional airplane from Voronezh Aircraft Building JSC and passed it to Angara Airlines JSC on conditions financial leasing. Thus, the first stage of delivery of such airplanes to Irkutsk airlines according to the agreement of financial leasing concluded between IFC JSC and Angara Airlines JSC was performed. This agreement stipulates the delivery of three AN-148-100Es in 2012, two in 2013 with option on 5 airplanes in 2014. Agreement on delivery of the airliners had been reached within “the aircraft fleet updating”, the regional investment project, under support of the government of Irkutsk district.

Additional developing works were performed on all airplanes to provide operation of the aircraft in conditions of low temperatures. In particular, it includes improved heating of doors, possibility to land on unpaved runways, increased frost-proofness of the engines.

Entering of the AN-148 into operation became the first arrival of the modern aircraft to Priangarie region for the decades; it promises to become the real break in the market of the regional and inter-region transportations. The airlines plan to direct one of the AN-148s to Novosibirsk, Mirny, the second airliner will serve inter-regional flights to Khabarovsk, Blagoveshchensk, Yakutsk, the third AN-148 will perform transportations on the local routes – to Bratsk and Ust-Kut. It is planned the new AN-148s will fly to the countries of South-East Asia as well. Besides, in the nearest time a service centre of the new AN-148s maintenance will be opened in the territory of Irkutsk airport.