Cuba about to order 10 more jets from Russia

An-158

CUBA STANDARD — Apparently using its leverage with close allies in Latin America, Cuba is expanding a previous order of three An-158 jets with Antonov Design Bureau, negotiating delivery of 10 jets, Russia’s Komersant daily reported.

Quoting Antonov’s Deputy General Designer, Alexander Keeva, the newspaper said the Cuban government has reached an agreement in principle with the Ukrainian aircraft maker and Russia’s Ilyushin Finance Co., and that the three sides are “getting close” to signing a final agreement.

Flag carrier Cubana de Aviación this year began operating three new An-158 jets ordered in 2011, on routes from Havana to  Santiago, Guantánamo, Holguín, Nassau, Santo Domingo, Cancún and Caracas.

During delivery of the third jet at an airshow in Moscow in August, Cuba reportedly signed an order for the leasing of three more of the Ukrainian-made mid-range aircraft. The three additional An-158 were scheduled for delivery in 2014. Russia’s Ilyushin Finance Co. will finance the three aircraft under an agreement with Roseximbank.

Now, Cuba is apparently negotiating delivery of seven more An-158 jets.

Cubana, Antonov and Ilyushin Finance just completed high-altitude tests with a Cubana An-158 jet in Ecuador and Bolivia. The two Andean countries, both close allies of Cuba, apparently have expressed interest in purchasing the jets as well.

“During this expedition, following demands of potential customers from the region, Antonov … and its partner Ilyushin Finance … conduct the airplane tests under conditions of alpine airfields,” Antonov said in a press release Nov. 15. “This expedition is an important constituent to promote the aircraft of the AN−148/AN−158 family into the market of Latin America.”

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