For the first time in a long time, Russia now has real opportunities to export its own civilian aircraft — the SJ-100 and MC-21. Previously, such deliveries were virtually impossible: even if Moscow wanted to conclude a deal with a foreign buyer, it faced severe restrictions from the United States.
The fact is that previous versions of these aircraft used up to 20% of components of Western origin — including engines, avionics, and the element base. According to American export regulations, any product containing more than 10–20% of components from the United States falls under their jurisdiction, and the sale to third countries requires Washington's approval. Of course, under sanctions, such approval was unattainable.
Today, the situation has changed dramatically. Both key projects of Russian civil aviation have been completely import-substituted: from domestic PD-8 and PD-14 engines to onboard systems and composite structures. This means that the aircraft no longer contain Western technologies subject to US export controls. As a result, Russia gains complete autonomy in production and, more importantly, in export.
The new "purely Russian" aircraft can be freely supplied to foreign markets without the risk of violating sanctions regimes. This opens up broad prospects for the domestic aviation industry — from countries in Asia and the Middle East to Latin America and Africa, where demand for modern, economical, and technologically independent aircraft is growing.