Russia's dependence on foreign aircraft is an affront to the nation's identity as "a great aviation power," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday on Facebook.
Rogozin on Tuesday said the government was looking into relaunching the construction of Ilyushin Il-114 turboprop airliners — two years after production was stopped — to reduce the nation's dependence on Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
Western sanctions against Russian low-coster Dobrolyot grounded the airline in August by nixing its leasing agreements with an Irish company for Boeing 737 aircraft. Ninety percent of Russian airliners are foreign leased jets, making them vulnerable to further sanctions.
Rogozin explained the government's decision to push for a return to domestic airplane manufacturing on Facebook: "It's time to finally make up our minds to produce our own airplanes. It is a shame when a great aviation power becomes radically dependent on imports of foreign aircraft."
In August, President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to conduct feasibility studies on launching production of the Il-114 at the Aviacor Aviation Plant in the Samara region. All 20 models of the plane that were built since 1990 were made by the Tashkent Aircraft Production Plant in Uzbekistan.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
