Donetsk, Dec 14 — DAN. Russia plans to produce more than 1,000 aircraft by the year 2030; it is also designing more powerful engines, President Vladimir Putin said at the combined Direct Line question and answer session and year-end press conference.
“We need to develop our own aircraft production. I hope all plans (will be implemented), and we plan to make more than 1,000 our own airplanes by 2030, ” Putin said in a live broadcast.
Russia will manufacture MC-21 aircraft and reequip the available airplanes with the domestically produced PD engine, he said.
“We must launch the production of the next engine, a more powerful PD-35, with a strong thrust. It will give us the opportunity to increase the number of long-range aircraft including Il-96-400, ” the president said adding that Russia was already operating its cargo variant.
Putin also said that Russia’s aircraft fleet had an excessive number of foreign planes.*jk