Russia to Start Domestic Passenger Aircraft Production... Aiming for Independence from Airbus and Boeing

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As Russia faces Western sanctions due to the Ukraine war, making it difficult to procure aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, it has set a goal to produce its own passenger planes, major foreign media reported on the 28th (local time).

According to reports, Russian state-owned defense company Rostec announced that Russia aims to independently produce 1,000 passenger aircraft by 2030 without Western assistance. Until now, 95% of Russia's passenger transport relied on Boeing and Airbus, but due to the impact of the Ukraine war, it has become difficult to even receive parts from these companies, prompting efforts to reduce dependence.

In response to foreign media inquiries, Rostec stated, "Foreign aircraft will no longer be used," emphasizing, "We see this process as irreversible, and there will never be a case where Boeing and Airbus aircraft are delivered to Russia."

American aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia assessed Russia's goal as "basically impossible." He pointed out, "Even if they (Russia) managed to obtain some semiconductors and key parts from the West, they are struggling to produce even a small number of jets."

Rostec added, "Our next short-term goal is to find substitutes for imported parts used in promising aviation projects," and stated, "From this year, we will not rely on international cooperation with Western countries. We expect sanctions will not be eased and are planning based on the existing difficult scenario."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.