Antonov State Enterprise (Державне підприємство «Антонов») is an aircraft manufacturer based in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was established as Research and Design Bureau Number 153 in May 1946, with Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov (1906-1984) as its lead designer. The new bureau was initially based in Novosibirsk, then in the USSR and now in Russia, and focused on the production of turboprop transport aircraft.

The company’s first design, the An-2, was introduced in 1947 and later 18,000 aircraft of this design would be produced, including many in China. In 1952 production was moved to Kyiv, then in the Ukrainian SSR now Ukraine, and work would begin on large aircraft designs. 1957 would see the first of these with the introduction of the An-10 and An-12 turboprop airliner and military transport aircraft.

In 1959 the company would begin construction of a test facility in Hostomel, a suburb of Kyiv, and this would late come to be known as Antonov Airport.

1965 would see the construction of the Soviet Union’s first wide-body aircraft, the An-22, and the following year the bureau would expand with two additional production and repair facilities being opened. The same year would also see the its name change to Kyiv Mechanical Plant.

In 1984 the bureau would again be renamed to Research and Design Bureau named after O.K. Antonov following the death of Antonov, although the previous name would remain in use for some time after this.

The late 1980s would see Antonov gain recognition for its production of very large transport aircraft. This was a result of the introduction of the An-124 Ruslan and then the An-225 Mriya, the world’s largest plane. As with the rest of the Soviet Union, the Antonov Design Bureau was impacted by the Perestroika of this period. The new policies allowed it to expand its operations and in 1989 it established Antonov Airlines. When Ukraine gained independence in 1991 it would remain a state-owned company of the new nation. It would also expand into foreign markets and introduce several new aircraft designs.

In 2009 the formerly independent Aviant facility would become part of Antonov. In 2014 the company would cease all dealings with Russia, following the annexation of Crimea, which led to a serious reduction in business.