At the Moscow Aerospace Show
(MAKS-2005), Volga-Dnepr Group, Antonov Design Bureau and Aviastar-SP
Aircraft Factory signed an agreement to establish a branch
of Ukraine ’s Antonov Design Bureau at the Aviastar-SP
Aircraft Factory in Ulyanovsk , Russia .
The move is another significant step towards relaunching
serial production of the 150-tonnes capacity AN-124 cargo
aircraft. The main activities of the newly established Ulyanovsk
office will encompass the designer's support of production
and operation of the AN-124 aircraft family.
Under the terms of the agreement, the branch will be responsible
for the incorporation of changes into the type design of
AN-124-100 aircraft manufactured at Aviastar-SP facilities
and the development of further type versions of the aircraft
involving the research and development potential of Aviastar-SP
and other Russian companies. The scope of activities may
be expanded to include the certification of changes and the
general designer's support for the production and operation
of AN-124 and AN-124-100M-150 aircraft in the Russian Federation
.
The parties engaged in the AN-124 project believe that
resuming production of this unique aircraft type will revive
the Russian aviation industry, significantly enhance the
leading positions currently held by Russia and Ukraine in
the global air cargo market, widen Russian-Ukrainian ties
in terms of implementing large-scale industrial projects
and create opportunities for more technological breakthroughs
in civil aviation.
Resuming production of the AN-124-100 may, along with the Government-supported
Quiet IL-76 Modernisation Project currently being implemented,
become one of the most ambitious and promising tasks for the
Russian aviation industry in the years to come.
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