It seems that Russia's dependence on Airbus and Boeing for new planes will become a thing of the past. The country's airline, Aeroflot, has finally confirmed that it is turning to its own country and has ordered 339 domestically produced aircraft. The order was signed on September 5-8 in 2022 at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Aeroflot is choosing new partners
According to ch-aviation.com, Aeroflot's order consists of 210 Irkut MC-21-300s, 40 Tupolev Tu-214 narrow-body aircraft, and 89 Irkut SSJ 100/95-NEW regional jetliners, an improved version of the Superjet 100. This indicates that all these aircraft will be in the "import substituted" structure, meaning that Russian-made systems and components, including engines, will replace those made in "unfriendly" countries. The planes will be manufactured by the state technology company Rostec, whose CEO, Sergey Chemezov, announced:
"Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which are unlikely ever to be delivered to Russia again, will be replaced by Russian-made passenger aircraft."
He added that "of the 339 aircraft, almost 300 are new-generation MS-21 and Superjet aircraft. The Tu-214 will become a reliable workhorse for them - this aircraft was previously produced for special customers and has proven itself well. The flagship in the Aeroflot fleet will be the MS-21."
Another possible misunderstanding is related to who actually produces the aircraft. The Irkut Corporation, a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation, produces the MC-21 and SSJ, while the United Engine Corporation produces the engines. Rostec, the Russian state aviation and defense conglomerate, controls a controlling stake in all of these companies.
SSJ-100/95NEW is not yet certified as its engines were previously manufactured by PowerJet, a joint venture between Safran of France and NPO Saturn of Russia. This formality will undoubtedly be resolved quickly, and Aeroflot aircraft will begin to be supplied in 2023. The new narrow-body aircraft, the MC-21, is also not yet certified, and the first six aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2024. The Tu-214 is a variant of the Tu-204, which first took off in 1996 and has since undergone various upgrades. The Tu-214 is still being produced, and, as Chemezov stated, it is being made for special customers, which in Russia's case means the government and the military. When Aeroflot takes delivery of the first seven planes in 2024, it will become the first commercial user of this type of aircraft. The entire order is expected to be fulfilled by the end of 2030.
According to ch-aviation.com data, Aeroflot has 305 aircraft, of which 127 are leased with crew. The only Russian-made aircraft currently in the fleet are 76 SSJ-100/95B, of which 72 are leased
with crew, and the other four are listed as inactive. The majority of the Aeroflot fleet consists of 130 Airbus A320 family, 47 Boeing B737-800, and 29 B777-300 aircraft, some of which are also leased with crew.
Comfortable 777 aircraft have been chosen
The data shows that Aeroflot only has 57 aircraft, and the rest are leased, although leases can be converted into "hostages". In order to carry out all this activity, the Russian state will subsidize the order, mainly aiming to cover the initial costs of manufacturing new types of aircraft until Rostec begins to produce all the planes.
Of course Aeroflot is the official carrier of the Eastern Economic Forum, also known as the 2nd International Tiger Forum. In a statement, Aeroflot said that participants traveling to Vladivostok on the approximately 8:40 a.m. flight from Moscow will be flown on "comfortable Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with liveries decorated with the Forum‘s logo." These comfortable 777 aircraft will also feature "passenger cabins fitted with specially branded headrests."
Source: https://simpleflying.com/boeing-airbus-aircraft-unlikely-ever-delivered-russia-again/