Airbase to Maintain Russian, Ukrainian Ruslan Aircraft Opens in Leipzig

KYIV. Jan 19 (Interfax) – A technical maintenance base for Antonov An-124-100 heavy air transports of the Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines and Russia’s Volga-Dnepr companies that are involved in air transportation in interests of the European Union and NATO under the SALIS program has been opened at the Leipzig/Hale Airport in Germany.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, German Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Heinz Marzi said prospects for the development of cooperation under the program were excellent, the press service of the Antonov Aeronautical Scientific and Technical Complex said.

“We should continue to cooperate. Ukraine and Russia are doing everything well. Germany is happy with everything. We clearly see that it is impossible to transport large quantities of goods without AN-124-100 aircraft both today and in the foreseeable future,” the press service quoted a high-ranking military as saying.

The Antonov Airlines and Volga-Dnepr companies are involved in transporting goods for the EU and NATO in line with a contract signed in 2006 in Leipzig between the Russian-Ukrainian Ruslan Sales company and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency. The three-year renewable contract is worth roughly 600 million Euros.

For details, see the Interfax – Military News Agency newswire.

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