However, the program got in the turbulences generated by the political changes in Russia which had lead the formerly centrally controlled aerospace industry into a serious crisis. The progress of the work depends entirely on the available budget. The main earnings come from charter flights with the five An-124 freighters that the design bureau own. Along with the chronical lack of funds, Antonov has to fight a another special problem. Since the company is based in the Ukrainian capitol Kiev, Russia, as the main market and location of many of the suppliers, is now a foreign country - with all the consequences, such as different currencies.
Customs can delay the delivery of important parts by weeks.
Only few orders are accomplished without payments in cash. Under these circumstances, it was almost a miracle that the first An-70 prototype left the assembly hall at the company's Svyatoschino airfield on January 20, 1994. Another year went by until all systems were delivered, installed and checked. The flight was completed at the close-by Gostomel airport where Antonov's flight test center is located. Reportedly there were some problems with the transmission of the D-27 propfans during the flight, not allowing for a second flight before February 8, 1995.