MOSCOW. Dec 5 (Interfax-AVN) - The administration of the Omsk region is about to complete development of the investment project concerning production of the new Russian-Ukrainian AN-70 transport plane at the local Polyot production association, Leonid Terentyev, director general of the Medium Transport Plane international consortium, said on Wednesday.
The package of investment documents is to have been drafted by December 20, Terentyev told Interfax-Military News Agency. The regional administration is planning to invest RUB1.055bn (USD35.22m) in the AN-70 production program. The funds are to be allocated as a guarantee of granting to Polyot loans of commercial banks and other financial bodies. A part of funds will be provided in the form of benefits concerning taxation, tariffs on energy resources, etc.
A total of USD30m is needed to finance technological preparations for the AN-70 mass production and other related issues. The sum includes expenses on opening a college in Omsk that will train specialists for implementing the AN-70 mass production project.
The first regular AN-70 plane can be made in Omsk after 2004, Terentyev said. The production cycle of one aircraft makes 27 months. A group of Polyot experts is permanently staying at the Antonov research and technical corporation in Kyiv to coordinate and check out the mechanism of cooperation with Ukrainian aircraft makers in the AN-70 production.