Russian president Vladimir Putin says building a modern civil aircraft industry has required a strategic rethink from the Soviet era, when civil aircraft design was largely influenced by military considerations.
Speaking during a year-end review on 19 December, in response to questions over the future of the 50-year old Aviastar plant, Putin stated that aircraft manufacturing was a “pressing issue”.
“We have strong aircraft manufacturing traditions, both in combat and civil aircraft,” he said. “The issue has always been that civil aviation was a derivative of military aviation.
“Military aviation has a completely different approach, in terms of its life-cycle, fuel consumption, noise, and so on.”
Several Soviet-era airliners had a military heritage, having been derived from types including the Tupolev Tu-16 and Tu-95 bombers, sharing assemblies and components and featuring characteristics such as glass noses and rugged landing-gear.
“To have these aircraft designed specifically for civilian use, from the beginning, was clearly something the Soviet Union hadn’t done well,” said Putin.
“Right now, we absolutely need our own modern domestic aircraft.”
Aerospace firm United Aircraft has developed the Yakovlev MC-21 and SJ-100, as well as the Ilyushin Il-114-300, but all three are still undergoing certification work.
Putin recalled his conversation, 15 years ago, with former Aeroflot chief Vitaly Saveliev – currently the deputy prime minister – over the airline’s decision to acquire foreign-built aircraft over Russian-built models.
“It seemed simpler and cheaper to buy foreign-made aircraft,” said Putin. The issue arose again in 2023 when Putin pointed out that the Russian industry was unable to supply aircraft quickly enough.
While international sanctions, imposed over the Ukrainian conflict, have constrained Russian operators’ abilities to source foreign models, Putin said: “To a certain extent, it’s good for us, because it forces us to work ourselves, to get involved, and to exploit the opportunities of our market.”
He insists the MC-21 is a “very good machine” and points out that the domesticated SJ-100 – based on the Superjet 100, which had multiple foreign components – has become a “completely localised” aircraft.
Putin adds that Russia needs a domestically-built regional design. The Il-114-300 twin-turboprop as well as the proposed UZGA TVRS-44 are likely to serve in these roles.
