From 2023
Antonov wants to build twelve An-178 per year
The Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer wants to get production going again. Now it is formulating a target for the An-178 - and revealing which jet will follow in series production.
An-178 of sister company Antonov Airlines: An order from Peru is in the books.
An-178 of sister company Antonov Airlines: An order from Peru is in the books.
For five years, aircraft production at Antonov was suspended. Now the aircraft manufacturer is starting up again. After the tail unit and wing sections, the airframe of an An-178 was completed in August. In the next step, the jet, which is destined for Peru’s Ministry of the Interior, is to receive the avionics. For the first time, Antonov will be able to do all this without any Russian parts.
In an interview, Antonov President Alexander Los now stated a concrete goal for resumed series production. From 2023 on, Los said, the company wants to build twelve An-178 aircraft per year. Following market analyses and discussions with potential customers, Antonov considers this to be a realistic plan.
An-158 is to follow
The An-178 is a twin-engine transport aircraft that will primarily be used by the military. The Peruvian Ministry of the Interior, on the other hand, plans to use it for the police. The model is based on the passenger aircraft An-158, an extended version of the An-148.
Antonov’s boss Los also stated that the next aircraft to enter series production after the An-178 is the An-158. He did not name a planned rate. The An-158-100 has room for up to 102 passengers and can fly a distance of up to 2,600 kilometres (1,616 miles). So far, only Cubana operates the model in its fleet. However, Ukraine is planning to establish a state airline to boost demand for An-148 and An-158.