Russia will allocate its first batches of domestically produced commercial aircraft to a group of national carriers including Aeroflot, Red Wings Airlines, Azimut Airlines and Aurora Airlines, as part of efforts to build a self-sufficient aviation sector, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Oleg Bogomolov, director of civil aviation programmes at United Aircraft Corporation, said the aircraft would be distributed among the carriers, alongside the Second Arkhangelsk Aviation Squadron, which operates regional passenger and cargo services.
“We have 18 MS-21 aircraft contracted for Aeroflot. Aeroflot has already finalized the aircraft's design and all technical specifications, and joint preparations are nearing completion for the development of an operational and after-sales service system to ensure maximum flight hours and operational efficiency,” Bogomolov said at a Federation Council committee meeting.
The MS-21 is a medium-range narrowbody aircraft designed to compete with the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX.
Under the programme, 42 Superjet-100 aircraft will be delivered to Red Wings, Azimut and Aurora, including eight aircraft earmarked for operations in Russia’s Far East under a separate government decree. The Superjet-100 is a short-haul jet broadly comparable to the Airbus A220-100 and the Boeing 717-200.
Red Wings is also set to receive 11 Tupolev Tu-214 aircraft, a twin-engined narrowbody similar in role to the Boeing 757, supported by preferential leasing terms.
Meanwhile, the first three Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprop aircraft are planned for delivery to the Arkhangelsk operator, although Bogomolov noted that demand for the type is high. “There are at least two more contenders for these first three aircraft,” he said.
The rollout of domestically produced aircraft comes as Russia accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on Western-built planes following sanctions imposed on its aviation sector after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.