Aircraft
Paris 2011: Antonov Charts Its Own Course as It Plots Production Growth
Ukraine’s Antonov has come a long way since it was last here at the Paris Air Show, but it still has a long way to go.

Ukraine’s Antonov has come a long way since it was last here at the Paris Air Show, but it still has a long way to go. In February, its An-158 regional jet completed initial type certification and first deliveries are pending. The smaller An-148 model has been in service for some time with launch customers Aerosvit (three aircraft) and Rossiya (six).

But the company’s main challenge is to establish itself as a full-fledged airframer in its own right, rather than being just a design bureau–albeit a well-regarded one. Antonov absorbed the Aviant factory in Kiev at a time when the operation was deeply in debt and in need of a bailout, with the restructuring orchestrated by the Ukrainian government.