OREANDA-NEWS. Cuban flag carrier Cubana de Aviacion has accepted the second An-158 regional jet to its fleet. The aircraft departed from Ukraine (final assembly location) to Cuba on July 24 afternoon.

Three An-158s are to be delivered in 2013 to Cuban carrier under the leasing contract with Panama’s South American Aircraft Leasing (SAAL) with financing provided by Ilyushun Finance (IFC). The deal stipulates an option for another three jets in year 2014. The first aircraft has joined Cubana’s fleet in April.

Since 2004 IFC has delivered three long-haul Ilyushin-96s, four medium-range Tupolev-204s (two passenger and two freighters) to Cuba under the Russian state guarantee program for the support of hi-tech export. The guarantees were provided through Vneshekonombank state corporation (VEB) subsidiary - Roseximbank. Earlier this year the export support mechanism was reinforced by Russian President’s decree. Shortly after Dmitry Medvedev visited Havana and An-158 contract was outlined then.

An-158 is a midrange (2500 km/1553 mi) 100-seater derivative of An-148 (75 seats) designed by Antonov, manufactured under Russian-Ukrainian cooperation with final assembly in Kiev (Ukraine). The fact that around 65 percent of jet’s value fall on the Russian components allow to apply the Russian export guarantees to An-158’s export.