Currently, Russian commercial airline companies operate 2,819 airplanes.
At the same time, only 140 long-haul and medium-haul airplanes (20%) and 191 regional airliners (65%) are either Soviet- or Russian-made.
Modern Russian-made aircraft account for 6% of long-haul and medium-haul airliners, as well as for 5% of regional airliners.
In 2008-2012, Russian airline companies received 590 passenger airliners, including only 50 Russian-made airplanes.
During the first half of 2013, the Russian civilian air fleet received 65 passenger airliners, including only nine from the United Aircraft Company.
In an effort to promote Russian-made aircraft on the domestic market, the Government has decided to establish a special working group, which includes representatives of aviation-industry, leasing and airline companies, as well as top executives of leading industry institutions and representatives of the expert community.
As for long-haul and medium-haul airliners, new-generation MS-21 airplanes with a range of over 5,000 km must be fully developed, and their production launched starting in 2017. This is a high-priority objective. MS-21 airliners seating 130-210 passengers each are to operate on the largest and fastest developing global airplane market, which can absorb an estimated 10,000 of these airliners until 2030. The MS-21 project aims to increase its market niche to 8-10% after 2025.
An upgraded Tupolev Tu-204SM medium-haul airliner meeting modern requirements, which was certified in May 2013, will be delivered to the domestic market in the short-term.
Specific guidelines of regional aviation development are linked with expanded production of Sukhoi Superjet-100 (SSJ-100) airliners, their improved performance and the creation of modified versions of them with a greater seating capacity.
In an effort to develop new-generation light-engine airplanes under the above-mentioned state programme, the Government stipulates 9.1 billion roubles’ worth of budget funding in 2016-2025. Aiming to ensure this project’s implementation by 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has drafted proposals to amend the Federal Targeted Programme Aviation Industry Development in 2002-2010 and until 2015. These amendments stipulate the allocation of 1.3 billion roubles to develop multi-purpose airplanes for regional airline companies, including the construction of a prototype airplane.
The Government has set the task of maintaining and expanding this air fleet in accordance with a two-stage plan. First, it is necessary to extend the flightworthiness of some of the decommissioned Antonov An-2, L-410 and Yakovlev Yak-40 airplanes and to upgrade them. This will make it possible to meet priority airline-market demand and to introduce competitive new-generation airplanes.
Acting in accordance with the requests of the Defence Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief, the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Federal Security Service, the Government has formulated a consolidated state contract for civilian aircraft until 2025. Under its provisions, there are plans to procure 136 Russian-made airplanes and 330 helicopters, including the Tu-214, the Tu-204SM, the An-148, the SSJ-100, the Mil Mi-8, the Mi-26, the Mi-38, the Kamov Ka-226, the Ansat and others).
Moreover, there are plans to draft comprehensive programmes for upgrading the Ilyushin Il-96-300, Tu-204 and Tu-214 civilian airplanes in accordance with airline requirements.