AN-148 Receives Certification, Motor Sich Sales Set To Take Off

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich announced yesterday that the AN-148 regional jet had been granted certification by both the joint Russian-Ukrainian Aviation Commission and Ukraine’s State Aviation Committee, clearing the way for the start of mass production of the jets. The Kyiv Aviant factory has already announced plans to produce four of the jets for Ukraine and Kazakhstan in 2007. The AN-148 uses d-436-148 engines produced by Motor Sich (MSICH: BUY). MSICH produced four of these engines in 2006 and, with the start of serial production, plans to produce up to 100 engines by 2010. Inna Perepelytsya: Currently, the Aviant factory has contracts for the production of 40 AN-148s while Russia is scheduled to produce 170 AH-148s by 2015.