Despite the fact that the long-haul, wide-body airliner C929 was initially a joint project between Russian and Chinese aircraft manufacturers, China is currently in the process of developing it without Russian involvement. The project description omitted any mention of Russia, even though the Chinese aircraft corporation COMAC showcased a model of the aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow. An anonymous COMAC representative informed the BBC that China is currently conducting the initiative independently.
The long-haul airliner’s previous designation was CR929, where the “C” stood for China and the “R” for Russia. However, the aircraft’s designation does not include the “R.” Russian and Chinese companies initially collaborated to develop the aircraft. It is considered essential for the improvement of accessibility between the country’s remote eastern regions and its central areas, particularly in the context of Russia’s transportation infrastructure.
Following the 2014 annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, the CR929 initiative was initiated during a period in which international sanctions were put in place against Russia. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 significantly intensified these sanctions, effectively blocking the supply of spare parts for Russia’s civil aviation sector.
We will explain the reasoning behind Russia’s decision to withdraw from the deal in 2023. Initially, Russia and China owned 50% of the project, with an estimated final cost of between USD 13 and 20 billion. Russia was a junior partner in terms of execution. China included Russia because of its preserved competencies from the Soviet era. Russia was primarily contributing intellectual property and financial resources to the project, as it has experience in the production of Il-96 wide-body airliners. In reality, China will build the long-haul aircraft using Chinese components. The only Russian components will be the composite wings and, in the medium term, the PD-35 aircraft engines. PD-35 is not yet ready, and the wings can be easily manufactured in China. This increases the likelihood of China acting independently in the future. The Russians are not confident about enforcing the intellectual property clauses.
Denis Manturov, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, announced in 2023 that the project will “reformat to exclusively Russian and Chinese components.” It is clear that China did not agree with this.
Various estimates indicate that the primary sales market for such wide-body aircraft will be China, with an estimated 1,200 aircraft sold over the next few decades. On the other hand, estimates place the demand for such aircraft in Russia between 50 and 120 aircraft.
At present, Russian airlines continue to operate foreign long-haul airliners, including Aeroflot’s fleet of 22 Boeing 777ERs. However, we anticipate a modernized version of the Il-96 to replace these. On July 9, 2024, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov emphasized the need for a long-haul aircraft, stating it should account for around 15% of transportation, a gap that the domestically produced SSJ-100 and MC-21 cannot fill. He suggested that an upgraded Il-96 could fulfill this role with the necessary modifications.
The Russian aircraft’s modernization timeline remains uncertain. According to Russian aviation news outlets, Sergey Chemezov, the chief of Rostec, informed Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in May 2024 that the corporation intends to develop the PD-35 engine and commence building long-haul aircraft based on it within the next two to three years.
On November 21, Anton Alikhanov, the Minister of Industry and Trade, revealed that Russia is developing a new wide-body aircraft that will run on domestically made PD-35 engines. Since its inception in 2016, the development of this engine has achieved significant milestones. Its purpose is to replace foreign equivalents in Russian aviation. The PD-35 is the largest Russian engine in its class, with the capacity to generate a thrust of up to 35 tons.
Alikhanov stated that they plan to complete the project after 2030. Starting development in 2016, the PD-35 engine is on track to become Russia’s most powerful aviation engine, enabling the development of competitive aircraft for both domestic and international markets.
The minister stated that the wide-body aircraft project, which is using PD-35 engines, is nearing its final phases. However, the initial prototypes of the aircraft are not expected to be produced for several years, possibly after 2030. Designers and engineers are currently developing the requisite technologies and materials to guarantee the project’s success and competitiveness on a global scale.
Altitude Addicts reported last month that Russia plans to convert the Il-96-400 into a two-engine variant with two crew members. They plan to use the PD-35 engines. We also reported that the IL-96 version, even equipped with two PD-35 engines, will not be adequate. It is uncertain whether the forthcoming project will entail the redesign of the current IL-96 aircraft or the development of a new aircraft entirely.
Official Website of Youtube Channel – Altitude Addicts