ANTONOV history
On May 31, 1946 the Resolution of ЦК ВКП(б) and Council of Ministers of the USSR approved the decree of the board on foundation of a Design Bureau (ОКБ-153) at Novosibirsk aviation plant and appointment Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov Chief Designer of this Design Bureau (DB). The same decree set a problem to the DB to develop a CX-1 (AN-2)
agriculture aircraft. The airplane made its maiden flight on August 31, 1947. Besides this aircraft and its modifications, the A-9 and A-10 gliders were designed and built in a small lot at experimental production facilities.
In summer 1952, the DB moved to Kiev. There
O.K. Antonov had to form a collective of the DB anew. Late 1953, the enterprise got a complicated task to design and build a military transport aircraft powered with two turboprop engines. It was lacking of specialists, rooms and shop facilities to fulfil the task like this. Early 1954, the collective gave an employment to the first group of graduates from Kharkov aviation institute and aviation specialists from Kiev, Moscow, Leningrad and other cities. The task had been completed and the AN-8 aircraft made its maiden flight on February 11, 1956.
The DB started developing the AN-10 and AN-12 aircraft in 1955. The AN-10 airplane flight tests were begun on March 7, 1957. On December 16, the same year, the AN-12 transport performed its maiden flight at Irkutsk aviation plant. In 1962 the creators of the AN-12 airplane were awarded with the Lenin Prize and O.K. Antonov was given the rank 
of General Designer. Simultaneously with the AN-8, AN-10 and AN-12 aircraft creation, the DB developed a series of A-11, A-13 and A-15 full-metal gliders and a item A-13M motorised glider. In 1956, according to the task set by the Government of the USSR, the collective started designing the AN-14 aircraft gently named as Pchelka later on. The aircraft performed its maiden flight on March 14, 1958. This airplane was serially produced by Arsenyev aviation plant.
Building of a Flight and Test base was started in Gostomel village near Kiev in 1959. For 30-year period the ANTONOV’s specialists had created a complex of facilities comparable with the leading Flight Centres of the European countries as far as equipment and capabilities are concerned.
The AN-24 passenger aircraft had been developed within 1957-1959 period. The airplane made its maiden flight on October 20, 1959. The airplane had been performing up to 30% of passenger carries in the Soviet Union within the following decades. This exceptionally successful aircraft became the basis for such derivatives as the AN-26 freighter, AN-30 aerial photography airplane, AN-32 high-mountain aircraft, etc. Late 1960, the DB started developing the AN-22 Antei airplane - world first wide-body aircraft predestined a new stage in the aircraft-building industry. As for its dimensions the AN-22 aircraft exceeded everything made by the aircraft industry 
efore, and required a huge volume of experimental work to be performed and a number of design and technological problems to be solved. The Antei made its maiden flight on February 27, 1965. The aircraft was in series production at Tashkent aviation plant.
Early 1970s, developing the ideas used while creating the AN-14 airplane, the collective of ANTONOV Company designed and built the AN-28 multipurpose aircraft, which accommodated 17 passengers. The airplane performed its maiden flight on January 29, 1973. The AN-28 aircraft was serially produced in Meletsc (Poland).
In 1970s, the DB' staff changed the direction of its activity and started creating transport aircraft powered with two turbofan engines designed by a DB named after V.A. Lotarev. The AN-72 transport became the first aircraft powered with turbofan engines. The AN-72 aircraft performed its maiden flight on August 31, 
1977. On its basis the Antonov's specialists developed the AN-74 aircraft to be operated under the Extreme North conditions. The airplane made its maiden flight on September 29, 1983. Series production is set at Kharkov State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC). In its turn the AN-74 aircraft became the basis for the whole aircraft family of various purposes including convertible, executive, ambulance and passenger ones.
In 1976, specially for hot-and-high operations the Antonov's specialists developed an AN-32 transport as a new modification of the serially produced AN-26 airplane. 
The AN-32 airplanes gained a popularity among operators especially in India, Latin American and African countries. The DB's specialists began to develop the AN-124 Ruslan heavy long-range transport in 1971. In 1982 this airplane performed its maiden flight. Kiev, Tashkent and Ulyanovsk aviation plants took part in the AN-124 prototypes manufacture. On the AN-124 aircraft basis the Antonov's specialists developed and certified its civil version - the AN-124-100 aircraft intended for commercial cargo transportations.
On April 4, 1984 Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov died. On November 19, the DB was named after
O.K. Antonov.
On May 15, 1984 Pyotr Vasilyevich Balabuyev was appointed General Designer. The enterprise started designing the AN-225 Mriya multipurpose superheavy transport intended to carry oversized assembled goods of up to 250 tonnes total weight including orbital spaceship of the Energia-Buran space-rocket system. The AN-225 aircraft had been designed and built within 3-year period. In December 1988, the airplane made its maiden flight. In May 1989, the AN-225 aircraft performed flights with Buran aboard at Baykonur base. In June, the aircraft with Buran aboard participated in Air Show in La Bourget. At present, the aircraft performs commercial transportations within an ANTONOV Company's air transport division.
This division was founded in 1989 after the enterprise had been authorised by the Government of the USSR to perform international commercial cargo deliveries by means of the AN-124 transport. Today, the transport division known as Antonov Airlines has been awarded with a legal status of National Cargo Operator of Ukraine. Antonov Airlines's crews and aircraft flight to the continents all over the world.
Having created the AN-225 aircraft the Antonov collective started designing the AN-70 short takeoff and landing operative-tectical transport aircraft. Its transport capabilities allow deliveries of almost the whole range of materiel and armament, as well as oversized civil engineering total of up to 47 tonnes to the short unequipped unpaved strips.
For the first time in the world, specially for this aircraft Ivchenko Progress Design Bureau designed the D-27 propfan engine and Aerosila Joint Stock Company developed the SV-27 multi-blade contrarotating propfan ensuring 30% less fuel consumption in comparison with current turbofan engines. The AN-70 aircraft comprises the best features of the transports created by the Antonov's staff for the 50-year activity. The aircraft performed its maiden flight on December 16, 1994. Today, preparation for the aircraft serial production is being proceeded at manufacture facilities of Kiev plant AVIANT and Omsk PA Polyot in cooperation with other aviation plants of the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
The AN-38 light multipurpose aircraft was designed and built in 1990s. It is intended to transport 27 passengers, mail and cargoes total of up to 2,500 kg on regional air routes. 
The aircraft is powered with TPE 331-14GR-801E engines produced by Allied Signal company (USA), with propellers made by Hartzell company (USA). The airplane made its maiden flight on June 23, 1994 at Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association named after V.P. Chkalov. The AN-38 aircraft's versions, an AN-38-100 and AN-38-200 (a version powered with Russia made TVD-20 engines), are serially produced at the same Production Association. The airplanes are delivered to operators of the Russian Federation and other countries.
By now, the Antonov's staff has completed designing and building the AN-140 regional passenger turboprop aircraft. The airplane was developed to replace the AN-24 aircraft-veteran at air routes. Having close to the AN-24 passenger capacity (52 seats), the AN-140 airplane essentially surpasses the predecessor as for both passenger comfort level and performance: flight range is longer by 75%, flight speed is higher by 20% and fuel efficiency is almost twice higher. Besides, in comparison with the AN-24 aircraft the AN-140 one needs 30% shorter runway length required. The airplane made its maiden flight on September 17, 1997. It is serially produced at Kharkov State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC), Samara AVIACOR Joint Stock Company and HESA plant (Isfahan, Iran). The first serial aircraft manufactured at HESA performed its maiden flight on February 7, 2001. The AN-140 started regular passenger carries in March 2002.
In 2004, the AN-148 regional passenger jet of a new generation rose into the sky. This aircraft powered by two by-pass engines is intended to carry up to 85 passengers over a distance up to 4400 km. At present, the aircraft is serially produced at ANTONOV Company and at Voronezh Aircraft Building JSC.
On January 20, 2006, Dmytro Kiva was appointed as General Designer – Head of the enterprise. Within a period from May 25, 2005 to January 20, 2006, he acted as General Designer.
Heading the enterprise during that period, which was difficult for economy of
In December 2009, in accordance with Decree of Cabinet of Ministers No.758-p of the 1st of July 2009, Orders of Ministry of Industrial Policy No.476 of the 10th of July 2009 and No.919 of the 23rd of December 2009, AVIANT Kyiv Aviation Plant was affiliated to ANTONOV Company. It was designated as ANTONOV Serial Plant. So, ANTONOV received possibility to produce the aircraft serially.
99-seat regional jet AN-158 became the first product of the united Company. In the airlines fleets the AN-158 will become a worthy addition to its ancestor the AN-148. Following customers’ demands and studying their requirements, ANTONOV is designing new airplanes of the family, including VIP-variants, special purpose airplanes and freighters.
At present, ANTONOV is able to realize full cycle of the aircraft creation – from design to serial production and complex after-sale support of the aircraft. At that, the enterprise personnel keeps traditions founded by Oleg Antonov.