The head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, said on Tuesday, May 5, that creating a new aircraft from scratch, without relying on current developments, usually takes more than 20 years. But he added that the Russian aviation industry accomplished this task in less than five years.
The minister pointed out that if the country does not have ready-made solutions for designing an aircraft, such as systems, engines and aerodynamics, development may take much longer. He cited the example of the Japanese company Mitsubishi, whose attempt to create an original aircraft ended in billions of dollars in losses, and the first prototype could not even take off.
– The Russian aviation industry coped with the task of creating a fully import replacement aircraft in less than five years. What our aviation industry has done is truly unique. We replaced the entire board of directors in less than five years,” says Alikhanov. RIA Novosti.
Meanwhile, domestic air carriers are forced to adjust flight schedules due to aircraft shortages. According to analytical data from the Air Transport Operators Association, companies give preference to international destinations, considering them more profitable in light of the difficult economic situation.