Support The Moscow Times!

Rogozin: Il-114 Aircraft Key to Restoring Russia as 'Great Aviation Power'

A Il-114-100 at the MAKS Airshow in Moscow, 2007.

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.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more