Antonov An-148
| An-148/An-158 | |
|---|---|
| Antonov An-158 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Regional jet airliner |
| National origin | Ukraine |
| Designer | Antonov |
| Built by | Antonov Serial Production Plant Voronezh Aircraft Production Association |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Ministry of Defence (Russia) |
| Number built | 47 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 2 June 2009 |
| First flight | 17 December 2004 (An-148) 28 April 2010 (An-158) |
| Developed from | Antonov An-74 |
| Developed into | Antonov An-178 |
The Antonov An-148 (Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-148) is a regional jet designed and primarily built by the Ukrainian aerospace manufacturer Antonov of Ukraine. Between 2009 and 2018, the An-148 was also being produced on a second production line in Russia by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association; however, production of the type in Russia was discontinued as a consequence of the wider souring political relations between Ukraine and Russia. While the last Russian-built An-148 was completed in October 2018, Ukraine continued to both produce and develop the type.
Development of the aircraft was started in the 1990s, although the An-148 name was not associated to the project prior to 2001. On 17 December 2004, the prototype performed its maiden flight. The aircraft completed its certification programme on 26 February 2007. On 2 June 2009, the first An-148 entered commercial service with the Ukrainian carrier Aerosvit. The largest export customer for the type was the Russian Ministry of Defence, which ordered 15 Russian-produced An-148s. The An-148 has a maximum range of 2,100–4,400 km (1,100–2,400 nmi; 1,300–2,700 mi) and is able to carry 68–85 passengers, depending on the configuration. The Antonov An-158 is a stretched fuselage version of the aircraft, accommodating up to 100 passengers.
Following a crash in February 2018, all An-148 and An-158 in Russia were grounded by the Russian Ministry of Transport. That same year, the Cuban state airline Cubana de Aviación also grounded its An-158 fleet amid reports of technical issues with the aircraft. By the end of 2021, the An-148 reportedly remained in commercial service with a limited number of airlines, including the North Korean state airline Air Koryo, the Russian carrier Angara Airlines, and the Ukrainian start-up Air Ocean Airlines.