KHARKOV. Nov 20 (Interfax-AVN) - China is planning to purchase two AN-74TK Coaler planes from the Kharkov State Aircraft Production Enterprise in 2002, deputy chairman of the Kharkov region administration Alexander Kolesnikov said on Tuesday.
Kolesnikov was asked by Interfax-Military News Agency to commend on negotiations held by Chinese officials at the plant behind closed doors.
The Chinese are studying the possibility of using the AN-140 plane on domestic routes. AN-140 is manufactured in Kharkov too. The parties may launch a project on joint production of the planes. Iran is making AN-140 aircraft on a similar pattern, Kolesnikov stressed.
The Kharkov enterprise has been manufacturing an entire family of AN-74 and AN-140 transport and passenger planes in the past few years. In particular, it makes AN-74T and AN-74T-200 planes intended for transportation of up to 10t of cargo. Both aircraft can take off from and land on unequipped airfields. The AN-74TK-100 can carry 52 passengers, while the AN-74TK-200 with the crew of two can be used on international routes.
In April 2001 the enterprise completed production of the AN-74TK-300 plane that was presented at the Le Bourget air show and the MAKS show in the Moscow region's Zhukovsky. The project of the new regional transport was implemented by the enterprise together with the Antonov aircraft corporation.