First An-148 Enters Service

Ukrainian airline AeroSvit launched passenger service with the first Antonov An-148-100 regional jet on a June 2 flight between Borispol International Airport, outside Kiev, and Kharkov, in northeastern Ukraine. Built by Kiev’s Aviant and used to gain CIS certification in 2007, the 70-seat regional jet took off from Kiev Borispol at 1:30 p.m. and landed in Kharkov at 2:50 p.m. local time, a representative from Russia’s United Aircraft Corp (OAK) told AIN. Neither Aviant nor the airplane’s Russian manufacturer, Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO), has yet completed a production example of the high-wing jet.