WORLD / EUROPE
Russia Plans to Build Over 600 Homegrown Planes in Next 6 Years
Published: Jan 16, 2024 07:53 PM
Russia is planning the production of more than 600 fully domestic passenger aircraft in the next six years and has allowed tapping the sovereign wealth fund to help plane manufacturers scale up their output, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday.

"Over the next six years, a total of over 600 completely domestically-produced jetliners are to be built," he told deputy prime ministers during a meeting.

The Russian fleet will consist mainly of the SSJ-New, МС-21-310, Il-114-300, Tu-214 and Il-96-300 aircraft models.

Mishustin added that "owning a modern air fleet" is important for keeping the vast swathes of Russia interconnected.

The Russian prime minister also said that the government had adopted a comprehensive program to expand the production of aircraft, engines and equipment, which can be financed through the Russian National Wealth Fund. He added that companies would be able to attract over 280 billion rubles ($3.18 billion) for these purposes on a repayable basis.

The program provides for the technical rearmament of production plants, increasing production capacities and conducting construction work, which includes developing new materials and electronic component base.
The Russian prime minister also spoke about the need to boost domestic car and bus production in the coming years under the strategy for automotive industry development until 2035.

"The Russian automotive industry faces major tasks — in the coming few years [we have to] boost domestic car and bus production, including through relaunching the sites of foreign companies that exited [the Russian market], and also through deepening localization and stimulating [our] own scientific engineering competencies, competitive production," the prime minister said.

He said that the production of cars with advanced motor systems such as electric, hybrid and hydrogen engines should be set up.

Western countries rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Russia after it launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The European Union banned the supply of civil aircraft and spare parts to Russia and obligated lessors to terminate contracts with Russian airlines. Aircraft maintenance and insurance services have also been banned. EU countries along with the United States, Canada and a number of other countries have closed the skies for Russian aircraft.