In the Russian aviation industry, the problem of new aircraft may not only lie in the technical complexity of their development. Officials' decisions can be influenced by the risks of personal responsibility for missing deadlines, changing characteristics, or problems after the aircraft has been delivered to an airline. This conclusion was reached by aviation expert SkyExpert, discussing the interaction between the state, aircraft manufacturers, and carriers.
In his opinion, it is easier for an official to focus on a metric that can be guaranteed to be confirmed, rather than to incorporate more ambitious characteristics into the program. The reason, according to the expert, is related to the system of KPIs and schedules: if the development of a new aircraft encounters unforeseen technical difficulties, deadlines may shift, but responsibility for the program's execution still rests with specific individuals.
Separately, SkyExpert draws attention to the difference between the technical capabilities of an aircraft and the characteristics that the manufacturer indicates in public materials. In particular, on the OAK website, the Il-114-300 currently claims a range of 1400 km with the maximum number of passengers and 5000 km with maximum fuel reserve and a load of 1300 kg. These are different operating modes, so comparing them as two alternative indicators of the same configuration is incorrect.
The situation with the MC-21 is similar: OAK indicates a maximum capacity of 211 passengers for the aircraft, while a range of up to 3830 km refers to a two-class configuration. In June 2026, the MC-21-310 indeed demonstrated a range of over 3800 km with a payload corresponding to 175 passengers, in a flight profile as close as possible to real-world operation.
However, according to the expert, the issue is not limited to individual figures. A more serious problem may be the decision-making model itself, in which the official is primarily interested in fulfilling a formal plan and reducing their own risks.
This can also be reflected in the choice of initial operators. It is easier for a large carrier to provide the necessary infrastructure, personnel training, and support for a new aircraft type, but at the same time, transferring equipment to small regional companies could allow for faster testing of its operation on specific routes and identification of operational problems.
At the same time, the state already uses various mechanisms to support domestic aviation. For example, in September, Aeroflot signed a contract for 90 MC-21 aircraft and became the launch operator of this type.
SkyExpert believes that for the development of the Russian aviation industry, merely setting KPIs and monitoring deadlines is not enough. A system is needed where a developer can report a technical problem and receive additional time or resources to resolve it, without turning every deadline shift into a threat to the entire program.
For complex aviation projects, this is especially important: it is impossible to completely eliminate errors and unforeseen technical problems during the development phase. Therefore, according to the expert, the state's task is not only to control the implementation of plans but also to create conditions under which the aircraft manufacturer and the airline can jointly bring new equipment to the required level.