Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov at the NAIS-2025 conference spoke about how the aviation industry and aircraft exports from Russia will develop. Although domestic aircraft and helicopters are still inferior to Western ones, he considers the aerospace industry important for the entire industry. The minister highlighted three aircraft that could become popular in the international market: the Mi-171A3 helicopter, the Il-114 regional aircraft, and the Il-76 cargo aircraft.
Alikhanov noted that at the initial stage, Russian aircraft may be inferior to Boeing and Airbus in terms of flight hour costs. However, he emphasized that even modest first steps in this direction will have long-term consequences.
According to the minister, even small successes in this area will help preserve critical competencies for the country's economy and defense. In addition, technological developments obtained in the process of aircraft production can be applied in other industries.
Russia remains the only country in the world capable of independently producing aircraft.
Let's take a closer look at why these machines are considered promising:
Mi-171A3 helicopter — a modernized version of the legendary Mi-8/17 — is already demonstrating impressive success in the foreign market. As Alikhanov noted, the experience of exporting Russian helicopters can serve as an example for other sectors of the economy.
The Mi-171A3 helicopter is distinguished by its multifunctionality, ability to adapt to difficult climatic conditions, and relatively low maintenance cost. The rotorcraft is in demand in Asia, Africa, and Latin America for solving a wide range of tasks:
— transport and rescue operations;
— work in high-mountainous areas;
— military-civilian application.
Modern modifications, including improved avionics and increased service life, make this helicopter competitive in its class.
Il-114-300 is a response to the growing demand for aircraft in the regional aviation segment. According to Alikhanov, in Asia, up to a quarter of all transportation is carried out on aircraft with a capacity of 60–90 seats, and the projected need for such aircraft in the next 20 years is 2,000 units.
The main advantages of the Il-114:
— ability to operate on short runways and in remote regions;
— cost-effectiveness in operation in conditions of underdeveloped infrastructure;
— possibility of modifications for Arctic zones.
The success of the project will depend on the timely launch of mass production and the creation of a service network. This will be an important lesson after the problems with Sukhoi Superjet support.
The heavy military transport aircraft Il-76, modernized to the MD-90A version with PS-90 engines, remains an important player in the cargo aviation market. Thanks to its high payload capacity (up to 60 tons), ability to land on unpaved airfields, and reliability, this aircraft is in demand both in Russia and abroad.
The global growth of logistics needs, including within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" projects, opens up new horizons for the export of this aircraft. In addition, the Il-76 serves as the basis for creating special versions: air tankers, flying hospitals, and fire-fighting aircraft.
Alikhanov noted that at the initial stage, Russian aircraft may be inferior to Boeing and Airbus in terms of flight hour costs, but emphasized long-term goals: technological independence, job creation, and the development of related industries, accumulation of competencies for breakthroughs in the future.
Earlier it became known that the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has begun one of the key stages of MC-21 aircraft assembly — checking the aircraft's systems under current. The first part of the tests, related to checking the power supply system, is already nearing completion.
At the initial stage, Russia plans to produce at least 36 domestic MC-21 aircraft per year. In the future, given the plans for export, these volumes should be doubled.
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