Antonov plans to fly the first An-148 regional jet this month, marking the culmination of three years of preparation and the dawn of a new era in Ukrainian civil aviation. The first passenger jet built in the former Soviet Union without the help of direct state investment, the 70-seat RJ marks the first time a CIS aerospace company adopted the Western model of risk-sharing partnerships–a necessary step in gaining the needed development funds absent an equity stake by the government. Meanwhile, the program’s lightning-speed progress (by CIS standards) is sparking a flicker of hope that Antonov can actually meet its delivery and support promises–historically one of the main barriers to marketing CIS-built airplanes in Western Europe and Asia.
Whether Antonov can surprise once again by convincing a Western airline to take a chance on an unproven support structure remains another question altogether, but for once a program from that part of the world appears to stand a realistic chance of doing so if, in fact, the company finds the funds to fit the airplane with Western-designed engines.
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