Russia must produce at least 200 aircraft by 2030 to replace aging foreign airliners, according to Sergey Chemezov, head of Rostec.
At the RSPP congress, Chemezov stated that Russian airlines currently operate outdated foreign aircraft that require replacement. “Perhaps even more will be required,” he admitted (as quoted by Interfax). This comment came in the context of a review of the comprehensive civil aviation development program (KPGA).
The current version of the KPGA, approved in 2023, outlines the production of 994 civilian aircraft in Russia by 2030. This number includes 142 Superjet-100s, 270 MC-21s, 51 Il-114-300s, 115 Tu-214s, and 14 Il-96-300s. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), part of Rostec, is expected to produce 592 of these aircraft by 2023.
In November 2024, Sergey Chemezov said that the program should be adjusted in accordance with the plans and capabilities of airlines. He stated that the development of the KPGA occurred “at a difficult moment.” There was no understanding of how the situation in the aviation industry would develop in the future due to sanctions, what would happen to foreign aircraft, their maintenance, and components—”components—”urgent action was required.”
Chemezov said the program needed adjustments to align with airline plans and capabilities. He emphasized, “However, the demand is no longer as pressing. Maintenance of foreign aircraft has been established, and they continue to operate. The fears that everything would come to a halt have subsided.” He added that the transition from imported aircraft to domestic models should be gradual, based on operational life cycles.
In March 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Rostec announced delays in the delivery schedule for new Russian civilian aircraft intended to replace Western models. The Ministry of Industry and Trade postponed the MC-21 deliveries to 2025 and the regional Superjet 100 deliveries to 2026.
In November 2024, there was a leadership change at PJSC Yakovlev and JSC Tupolev. In March 2025, during a legislative council meeting, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov reported that 13 MC-21 aircraft and 20 SJ-100 airliners were in various stages of production. The UAC press service clarified to TASS that around 40 MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft were at different levels of readiness.
On March 17, a Superjet prototype equipped with Russian PD-8 engines conducted its first flight. Alikhanov said the first certification flight of the MC-21 medium-haul aircraft with the Russian PD-14 engine is postponed to June-July this year. According to Chemezov, plans call for the MC-21 aircraft to begin mass production in 2026, the same year that domestically made SJ-100s are introduced.
However, there are some numbers available for current aircraft in production.
In early March, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov reported at a meeting of the presidium of the Russian Council of Legislators that 13 serial MC-21 aircraft and 20 SJ-100 airliners are in production at varying degrees of readiness.
Earlier, UAC TASS stated that about 40 MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft in various stages of readiness are at the companies of the UAC. this was done to speed up production after certification of the Russian version of the aircraft.
Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov previously announced plans to start serial production of MC-21 aircraft in 2026. The start of production of import-substituting SJ-100 aircraft is also scheduled for 2026.
However, the question arises as to whether Russian aircraft are truly necessary at this point. The Russian aircraft, even if they manage to keep the revised schedules, may not be attractive to the airlines. The closer the date of serial production of domestic import-substituting aircraft becomes, the more often airlines refuse to purchase them. Aeroflot has refused to purchase Superjets and Tupolev Tu-214s. The MC-21, which Aeroflot plans to purchase in large numbers, is not ready yet. UVT Aero has canceled the order for four Tu-214s. Although the airlines have plans to buy Russian aircraft, there are no firm orders.
The real demand for domestic aircraft can also be assessed based on orders placed by the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK). Attempts to convince airlines to purchase Russian-made aircraft on market terms were unsuccessful. Instead, GTLK will supply them under a preferential leasing program.
At the 2024 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2024), GTLK signed an agreement for the delivery of 238 aircraft: 123 Superjets, 65 Il-114s, and 41 Tu-214s. However, this agreement only outlines the basic terms of delivery until 2032—there are no firm contracts yet.
Therefore, it should not be surprising if carriers try by any means possible to keep their Boeing and Airbus in working order and try to buy at least used aircraft.
Aircraft issues are just one part of the problem. Miroslav Boychuk, president of the Russian Flight Crew Union, warned earlier that in 2026-2027, Russia may face a shortage of civil aviation pilots. The main reason is the brain drain from the country amid low salaries in the industry. Russian carriers are competing for personnel with foreign operators, and given the growth of air travel worldwide, the demand for Russian specialists will grow.
If earlier, before the pandemic, the salaries of pilots in Russia in leading companies were about 70% of the world average, now we do not even reach 40%, said Miroslav Boychuk. At the same time, there are graduates of flight schools in Russia who only need to be trained to work on specific aircraft, noted Miroslav Boychuk.
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