KYIV. Dec 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The Kyiv-based Antonov Aircraft Research and Production Enterprise (ANTK), and the Russian Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar Company and Volga-Dnepr air carrier have signed a memorandum of understanding on launching the upgraded An-124-100 Ruslan heavy air transport, with a payload capacity of 150 tons, into production.
Antonov ANTK Deputy Designer General Oleksandr Kiva told Interfax that the agreement envisioned manufacturing the first batch of two aircraft, which would become the first step towards launching the upgraded air transport into mass production.
Upgraded Ruslan transports will be manufactured by the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar plant jointly with Ukrainian partners, expected to include the Kyiv-based Aviant aircraft plant.
Last autumn the Volga-Dnepr air carrier signed an agreement with the Zaporizhzhya-based Motor Sich Company on starting modernizing the D-18 engine for the upgraded Ruslan aircraft in 2007.
The An-124-100 Ruslan heavy air transport, featuring a payload capacity of 130 tons, have successfully operated in the international market of super-heavy and bulky cargo transportation, as well as participate din international peacekeeping missions.
Volga-Dnepr and Ukraine's Avialinii Antonova established the Ruslan International Ltd. on a par to streamline control over the commercial fleet of An-124-100s. The new company acts as a single marketing agent of all air carriers, operating the An-124-100.
According to experts, the 2006 super-heavy and bulky cargo airlift market equals about $500 million, which constitutes a 39% increase y-o-y 2005.