The total flight time of An-148 fleet exceeded 60 thousand hours in mid-June. At present 14 An-148s are in service. The jets have already performed over 30 thousand flights with an average duration of 2 hours, press-service of VASO reports.
«St. Petersburg-based Rossiya – Russian Airlines put the first An-148 into operation in December 2009. The first flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow has been performed in the full glare of publicity. Nowadays the carrier’s fleet comprises six aircraft of the type. The jets are performing flights to cities of Russia and foreign countries on more than 20 routes. An-148 performed its first international flight from St. Petersburg to Berlin on March 16th 2011. The average monthly flight time per jet is about 300 hours. Such indicators make the operation of An-148 profitable», - the press-service noted.
The first An-148 purchased by Polet Airlines performed its first revenue flight from Voronezh to St. Petersburg on September 9th2011. The jet also performed its first flight from Voronezh to Moscow and landed at Domodedovo airport in September 2011. These flights paved the way for operating the jets manufactured by VASO on routes connecting Voronezh with different cities of Russia and foreign countries.
At present Polet Airlines’ An-148s are performing charter flights in the network of summer schedule. The jets are also used within the framework of a program of “sport charters” – one jet has a distinctive CSKA livery. The flight time of each An-148 in the fleet of Polet Airlines (the carrier operates 2 aircraft of the type) is over 200 hours per month, which is comparable to the indicators of Rossiya. The carrier’s An-148s are performing up to 8 flights per day.
«Irkutsk-based Angara Airlines keeps on expanding its network. The carrier operates three An-148s – the first one was put into service in December 2012. The airline performs flights to many cities of Siberia and Far East. The jets successfully passed the low-temperature test on regular route Irkutsk-Yakutsk in 2013. Vladivostok airport was certified for servicing the jets in July. The expansion of the carrier’s network affects the economics of its jets: one of them had a total flight time of 250 hours in June (it performed about 100 flights that month)», - VASO noted.
«An-148 aircraft manufactured by VASO are extensively operated on domestic and international routes, – CEO of VASO, Vitaly Zubarev, noted. – For us it is the testimony to the fact that our enterprise maintains its reputation as the manufacturer of advanced aircraft while being the essential part of civil aircraft segment of UAC’s (United Aircraft Corporation) product line. Successful operation of An-148 aircraft by different carriers results in state customers taking interest in the vehicle. VASO has secured orders for An-148 jets from different ministries and agencies, including EMERCOM, Federal Security Service, Ministry of Defense, etc.».
