Aircraft
Antonov, Xi’an To Collaborate on MA700
Ukraine’s Antonov has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xi’an Aircraft (XAC) to help develop a new 70-seat turboprop dubbed the MA700, the Ukrainia

Ukraine’s Antonov has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xi’an Aircraft (XAC) to help develop a new 70-seat turboprop dubbed the MA700, the Ukrainian airframe maker confirmed last month. Antonov deputy head of marketing Andrii Sovenko told AIN the agreement involves a risk-sharing partnership, details of which the companies planned to discuss during the September 19 to 22 Beijing International Aviation Exhibition.

Now engaged in serial production of the 50-seat MA60 turboprop and wings and fuselage sections of the new ARJ21 regional jet, AVIC I subsidiary XAC plans to pursue EASA and FAA certification for the proposed 70-seater. Xi’an Aircraft International–55 percent owned by XAC–would finance the project through share offerings on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.