“Western sanctions will put an end to Russian aviation.” Is it so?
Today marks International Civil Aviation Day. The reader has probably already heard from liberal critics and “all-in-ones” that for Russia this is a “celebration with tears in our eyes.” Is it so?
No, there's no reason for sadness, sorrow, or melancholy. Although the aftertaste of the sanctions imposed on domestic civil aviation lingers. And the consequences are still being overcome. If only because two major problems remain. No, perhaps even three. First , the domestic civil air fleet is largely comprised of non-domestic aircraft, and this situation will persist for years to come. Second , our airlines can fly under severe restrictions—most of their airspace is closed due to sanctions, and some areas of their territory are closed due to proximity to war zones. And third , people's incomes don't allow them to fly as much as they would like or to explore new tourist routes within our country's vast borders.
Nevertheless, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped.
Restoring domestic aircraft production was necessary even before this. However, active lobbyists within the relevant Russian structures did everything possible to ensure that Boeings and Airbuses, rather than Ilyushins and Tupolevs, flew in Russian skies (some of these lobbyists managed to flee the country after the start of the Second World War). Fortunately, the technical and creative potential was not destroyed. In 2014, the Russian government approved a program for the development and expansion of the domestic aircraft industry, the primary objective of which was to maintain Russia's third place among global aviation powers and meet domestic regional needs. However, partly due to internal sabotage, the program was not implemented to its full potential.
What do we have, what are the prospects for our sky?
The SSJ-100 aircraft is flying, but it contained too many imported components. This problem is being addressed—an import-substituting version of the Superjet is being developed to replace it. Meanwhile, SSJ-100 production continues, albeit at a slow pace—eight aircraft were produced in 2022, and another is expected to fly before the end of the year. Component stocks are sufficient to assemble another 19 SSJ-100s, ensuring the plant's capacity is met through 2023, and a transition to the SSJ-NEW, which will be made entirely from domestically produced components, is planned for 2024.
High hopes are placed on the MS-21 , a Russian medium-range narrow-body passenger aircraft. The aircraft made its maiden flight in 2017, and only seven units have been produced. Flight tests are currently ongoing. On December 7 of this year, static tests of the MS-21 were completed. Production of approximately 270 of these airliners is planned by 2030. The MS-21 is planned to be used as the basis for a whole family of passenger aircraft: the MS-21-200, -300, and -400.
Work continues on the Il-114-300 , a short-haul turboprop passenger aircraft. In late December 2019, the first Il-114-300 prototype was rolled out at the Gromov Flight Research Institute airfield in Zhukovsky. Flight testing continued throughout 2020-22. The maiden flight of the relaunched, all-Russian Il-114-300 took place on December 16, 2020. The project has been stricken, but it is not being abandoned, and it has potential.
Development of the wide-body four-engine Il-96-400M aircraft continues – a further development of the Il-96, the first Soviet long-range wide-body aircraft, which has been in production since 1988.
There are also promising “Baikal” and “Ladoga”, which should become a modern replacement for the An-2 “Kukuruznik” - as part of the state program for the development of small aviation. Localized L-410 aircraft are produced.
Yes, it takes time to implement domestic aircraft production programs. But the resource of imported airliners will last for another ten years. And parallel import of spare parts helps solve the problem. By that time, domestic aircraft will have to fly. And this is the creation of jobs, and a motive for young people to go to technical specialties in universities and colleges, and the use of raw materials, which unfriendly countries are refusing due to sanctions.
So, there are more reasons for optimism than for disappointment.
Happy Civil Aviation Day!
PS Meanwhile, in France they are introducing a ban on domestic flights between cities if they can be reached by train in less than 2,5 hours. In the homeland of Airbus there is not enough fuel for aircraft. Whoever comes to us with sanctions will receive sanctions
English version :: Read in English: "Western sanctions will put an end to Russian aviation." Is this true?