New Wings Promised for An-70

The President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin ordered Prime Minister Yevhen Prymakov to include the manufacture of the Russian-Ukrainian middle cargo plane An-70 into the Federal Program for Domestic Aviation Development, and secure its stable financing (including non-budget funds). He also assigned his government to pay off (despite the crisis) the debt for already fulfilled development stage and field testing using federal budget funds.

Employees of the Antonov plant were extremely surprised by this decision. You bet they were, after the Russian side promised to cover 80% of the project's expenses (Ukrainian part was to pay 20%), but the plant only received 8% financial support. For this reason, the plant has every right to claim full responsibility for the construction of two An-70 planes, since it had to earn extra money for the project on its own (international transport, engineering, pilot training, etc.). A source at the plant reported to The Day that European expert groups should be submitting suggestions for further project development by October. It is expected that our An-70 will become the new prototype for the next generation of European planes. The only thing left is the tender. Interfax-Ukraine reports that project inspector and Russian presidential aide Yevhen Shaposhnikov has spoken with Ukrainian and German representatives about the possible participation of Germany and other Western European countries in the project.