RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The first Venezuelan-made aircraft concluded its test flights on Saturday, November 21th, without major incidents, the deputy minister of air transportation, Ramon Velasquez Araguayan, announced.
“The aircraft took to the skies, with a perfect takeoff and landing,” Velasquez said in a video posted to Twitter, referring to the SIBO-100 prototype named in tribute to the national hero Simon Bolivar.
“Today we completed the test flight of the SIBO-100 … in honor of the centennial of our military aviation,” added Velasquez, who also serves as president of the Venezuelan consortium Industrias Aeronauticas y Servicios Aereos (Aeronautical Industries and Air Services).
Transportation Minister Hipolito Abreu also celebrated the event, calling it a “historical milestone that marks the birth of the National Aeronautical Company (EANSA).”
EANSA was created in February of this year and this week opened its headquarters in the central state of Aragua.
EANSA is responsible for the design, assembly, integration and testing of aircraft, satellites and satellite launch vehicles, as well as the development of any type of manufacturing-related activity Founded. Maintenance, repair, certification of aircraft, parts, components, aviation equipment, research and development are affiliated with the Ministry of People’s Power of Transport through the Venezuelan Aviation Industry and Air Transport Consortium, SA (Conviasa).
The new company allow the country greater autonomy in the manufacture of parts, components, spare parts and aircraft designs to strengthen the national aviation industry.