Antonov agrees to assemble An-132 in Saudi Arabia

The agreement between Antonov and Taqnia Aeronautics concerns not only An-132, but An-148 and An-178 aircraft as well (Photo by Antonov)

Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov has signed an agreement with the Saudi company Taqnia Aeronautic to open an assembly plant of An-132 transport aircraft in Saudi Arabia. The announcement of the agreement came from the Ukrainian company and concerns not just An-132 production.

“In fact, what we have signed today clearly lays out the time frame and budget constraints for the production of the first batch of An-132s, as well as An-148s and their modifications,” Antonov vice-president Aleksandr Kotsyuba told Delo.ua newswire.

Antonov specifies that the agreement outlines conditions of delivery, supply and post-sale servicing for the An-132, An-148 and An-178 model aircraft produced at the plant. Along with this, Antonov has agreed with Taqnia Aeronautic to produce other materials for Antonov aircraft. This includes metal and non-metal aircraft parts, including polymer composite materials. Antonov has emphasized that Taqnia has extensive experience producing aluminum alloys, which should prove useful for the Ukrainian manufacturer.

Antonov and Taqnia Aeronautic started cooperation on development of An-132, a modernized version of An-32 transport, in May 2015. An initial agreement outlined terms for Antonov to provide aviation production technology, rights to intellectual property, as well as training of Saudi specialists in the field of aviation production. Not long ago, Antonov assembled a fuselage for the first An-132 prototype. Completion of the aircraft is expected by December 2016.