Antonov Sees European Interest in Latest aircraft

Antonov represented its modern programmes at a seminar on a problem of development of aviation transport possibilities of EU, which took place at European Defence Agency in April 2012.

Representatives of 22 EU countries, European commission, Military Staff of EU, European aviation transport command, a number of companies manufacturing aircraft and equipment, aviation carriers participated in the seminar.

Oleksandr Kiva, Vice President, Deputy General Designer of Antonov Company, made a report about high-technology programmes of Antonov, providing effective decision of many tasks on transportation of people, cargoes including those within the limits of liquidation of aftermath of natural disasters. During the presentation, he drew attention of the seminar participants to wide abilities of the AN-178 and AN-70 new military transport airplanes. He noted also, that European countries have a positive experience of the Antonov airplanes using.

One of the striking examples is successful operation of the AN-124-100 "Ruslan" heavy transport airplanes of "Antonov Airlines" and their Russian partner, "Volga-Dnepr" airline, on carrying out strategic transportations in the interest of 18 countries of NATO and EU.

Since March 2006, within this programme, "Ruslans" performed more than 2100 flights, delivered more than 120,000 t of cargoes of both military and civil purposes to the different countries of the world. Those airplanes repeatedly participated in operations on settlement of the crises, liquidation of the aftermaths of anthropogenic and natural disasters.

The multipurpose AN-32, which performed various tasks of both military and civil departments, worked in the hot climate conditions and high mountains, extinguished fires in Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Albania, confirmed its effectiveness and reliability more than once. Antonov offers to use wide abilities of the airplane in realization of the Europe-wide programme on quick reaction on the extraordinary situations under the aegis of Euro-Atlantic coordination centre. The AN-32P is able to decide effectively main tasks of its air transport constituent part including delivery humanitarian cargoes (medicines, food, clothes, etc) to a place of event, to evacuate injured persons to carry out aerial fire extinguishing.

Mr.Kiva has also told about the other offers of Antonov concerning possible joint scientific and technical projects including modernization and maintenance of the Antonov airplanes, training of flight and technical crews for the Antonov aircraft, performing strategic transportations.

Mutual interest in cooperation was confirmed within the seminar during negotiations with the representatives of different countries of Europe.


Source: Antonov; issued April 18, 2012

Photo: Antonov AN-32 Cline transport aircraft (Photo by airliners.net)

(23.04.2012)