The second An-158 regional aircraft was handed over to Cubana de Aviacion on July 24th 2013. The jet departed from Gostomel Airport (Kiev Region) to Cuba at 13:38 local time, press-service of Ilyushin Finance & Co. (IFC) reports.
This jet was delivered to the Cuban carrier in the network of a contract for delivery of 3 An-158s (plus an option for three more jets) signed by IFC and «South American Aircraft Leasing» (SAAL, Panama), which is financing the leasing of An-158 aircraft for the airline. The first An-158 was delivered to Cubana in April 2013.
"The acquisition of these jets helps satisfy the requirements of the Cuban carrier in the area of regional aircraft. IFC has delivered 7 Russian-produced aircraft to Cuba before: 4 medium-haul Tu-204s and 3 long-haul Il-96-300s. All the jets are delivered to the customer in the network of the governmental program for financial support (guarantees) of export of hi-tech industrial products.These guarantees are provided by the government to banks, which grant credits to buyers of Russian products. Roseksimbank (subsidiary of Vnesheconombank, which specializes on financial support of Russian exports) is financing the deal. A governmental decree for supporting the export of hi-tech products and provision of state credits and guarantees was signed in February prior to the visit of Dmitry Medvedev to Cuba. The decree provides new capabilities in the area of export of Russian-produced vehicles and equipment", - press-service of IFC noted.
An-158 regional jet seating up to 100 passengers is the latest version of An-148 aircraft (75 seats). An-148s are manufactured in Voronezh, while the final assembly of An-158 jets is carried out in Kiev by Antonov State Enterprise. The An-148/158 Family jets are manufactured in close cooperation between Russian and Ukrainian enterprises. Up to 65% of components of each jet are produced by Russian enterprises (including the enterprises of Russian Technologies State Corporation), that is why these jets are part of the program for financing of exports.
An-158 has a range of 2500 km and maximum flight speed of 870 km/h. The unique feature of An-158 is its unique aerodynamic configuration – “high-wing aircraft”. The high-wing position allows operating the jet from unpaved runways located in hard-to-reach regions. An-148/158 jets have been certified by the Interstate Aviation Committee in accordance with JAR-25 harmonized with European CS-25 and US FAR-25.
We remind you that an MRO center was established in Cuba for servicing Il-96 and Tu-204 aircraft. This center will also be carrying out the post-sales support of An-158 jets. The center helps increase the appeal of Russian-produced aircraft to airlines of Latin America and provide favorable terms for implementation of additional agreements with Cuba.