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Ukraine, Saudi Arabia to build first An-132 plane jointly by late 2016

The plane, an upgraded version of An-32, will be manufactured at plants in Kiev, Saudi Arabia and other Ukrainian enterprises, including in Kharkov, in the country’s north-east

Ukraine’s Antonov factory Marina Lystseva/TASS

Ukraine’s Antonov factory

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

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LE BOURGET, June 16. /TASS/. The first An-132 cargo aircraft will be produced jointly by Ukraine and Saudi Arabia until the end of 2016, the chief designer at Ukraine’s Antonov state-run aircraft manufacturer said at the Paris Air Show 2015.

"We plan to build this aircraft until late 2016. We have a program and this is envisaged by the contract," Dmitry Kiva said.

The plane, an upgraded version of An-32, will be manufactured at plants in Kiev, Saudi Arabia and other Ukrainian enterprises, including in Kharkov, in the country’s north-east.

"We estimate the market of this aircraft at around 900 vehicles," Kiva said.

In April 2015, media reports said that the Antonov manufacturer and Saudi Arabia’s Taqnia Aeronautics signed a contract on launching the An-132 production. The An-132 will replace the An-26 and An-32 aircraft.

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Ukraine Saudi Arabia

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