An-70 Project May Take-Off Again

Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko mentioned to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the troubled joint An-70 project between the two countries should happen. Putin said that Russia is ready to support the project, but said a final decision should be made by the experts. He showed more interest in the An-148, jointly designed by Ukraine and Russia with estimated demand of 480 planes. Concorde Capital: Revival of the project would benefit the ?Aviant? plant, which together with Russian ?Polyot? would become a serial producer of An-70, and Motor Sich (MSICH), a maker of engines for the planes. The Russian military expressed a negative attitude toward the An-70 recently. On the positive side, Libya has recently offered Ukraine financing for the plane.