Russian air navigation authority Rosaeronavigatsia is planning to acquire 10 Antonov An-140s as part of an effort to modernise its fleet of flight-calibration and test aircraft.
The organisation has previously relied on types such as the Antonov An-24 and An-26, Ilyushin Il-14 and Yakovlev Yak-40 to perform checks on terrestrial radio-navigation systems.
But air navigation services chief Alexander Neradko says the aircraft have relatively poor fuel efficiency - the An-26, he points out, burns fuel at 900-1,100kg/h (1,980-2,420lb/h).
This, combined with the age of the on-board equipment - notably the ASLK-75, for certificating instrument landing systems and other ground-based navaids - has increased pressure for an upgrade.
Neradko says Rosaeronavigatsia intends to acquire two An-140s over the next year, and eventually will have a fleet of 10. These will not only be used as "in-flight laboratories" but also to perform training flights for student air traffic controllers, to increase their understanding of flightcrew operations.
Source: Flight International
