The contract for two An-148-100EAs with a specialised passenger cabin comprising the VIP cabin, business class and economy class was made by the Presidential Property Management Office and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on 5 December 2011 with the immediate contractor handling the order being UAC’s subsidiary VASO Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Company. According to the governmental acquisition authority’s website, the contract’s value has totalled 2.1 billion rubles, with an aircraft going at 1.05 billion rubles ($34.5 million) a pop.

The first An-148-100EA designed for Rossiya special flight detachment (RA-61716, c/n 42-03) was made by VASO last autumn. The plane first flew in Voronezh on 16 November 2012. Its test programme included 17 sorties, including five certification ones, that served the basis for Supplement Type Certificate CT264-An-148/D09 issued on 28 December 2012. The acceptance report was signed on 30 December. Since January this year, the aircraft has been in service with the Rossiya special air detachment, operating out of Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.

The assembly of the second An-148-100EA ordered by the Presidential Property Management Office (RA-61720, c/n 42-07) was complete this spring, with the aircraft conducting its first flight on 25 March. Following its factory and acceptance tests, it was delivered on 20 May and ferried to its permanent station at Vnukovo as soon as the next day.

The aircraft has been the second An-148 made by VASO and commissioned into service this year. 5 February saw the maiden flight of the An-148-100EM (c/n 42-02, reg. RA-61715) convertible passenger/medevac aircraft built by order of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s air branch for two aircraft of the type. It was delivered on 10 April 2013. The plane has been based in Ramenskoye in the Moscow Region since 17 April. VASO is preparing the second aircraft of the type (c/n 42-04, reg. RA-61717) to be delivered in July. The plant is manufacturing more An-148s, including those ordered by the Russian Defence Ministry.