Currently, airlines in Russia need up to 100 MC-21 mainline aircraft to replace retiring foreign aircraft; Tu-214s produced by the Kazan Aviation Plant (KAZ, part of the United Aircraft Corporation) can temporarily substitute them. This opinion was expressed by aviation expert Roman Gusarov.
Soviet Legacy to Help
He reminded that serial deliveries of the MC-21 are expected in 2026, but flying is needed now. At the same time, KAZ is seriously limited in its ability to produce new aircraft, building "Tu's" literally in single units.
The Russian Tu-214 is capable of replacing the retiring foreign aircraft. At the same time, the serial production of this type of aircraft is limited by the volumes that the Kazan Aviation Plant can implement. It produces units of these aircraft.
Large Sums of Money Needed
Honored Pilot of the USSR and expert in the field of civil aviation Oleg Smirnov explained that if the government takes reasonable steps, the Tu-214 is capable of becoming the first domestic aircraft to be launched into mass production to replace Airbus and Boeing.
According to him, the aircraft was certified back in the 80s of the last century, and the resumption of production is the fastest thing to do. Yes, the aircraft is far from a modern design, but in the current conditions, this will have to be accepted.
The parent company is there, and it is in order, but the factories and plants — subcontractors — are closed. And millions of components are needed for aircraft, and you can't make them on your knee.
No Alternatives in the Regions Yet
Gusarov added that the situation with regional aircraft to replace the half-century-old An-24, An-26, and Yak-40 is much more complicated. Among the options are the Il-114-300, as well as the LMS-901 Baikal and TVRS-44 Ladoga being developed.
The Russian-Belarusian 19-seat LMS-192 Osvey can replace the An-2. But it is in the initial stage of development and is unlikely to be mass-produced in the near future.
Against the background of the aging aircraft fleet, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, stated that he would provide an updated comprehensive program for the development of the country's aviation industry (CPDA) by the end of 2025. It can be assumed that the deadlines will be shifted to the right again or the number of aircraft projected for production will be seriously reduced.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the assembly of the first ventral fin bay of the MC-21-310 aircraft began at the Sokol aircraft plant.
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