Russia must have its own aircraft industry

Russia must have its own aircraft industry, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday in an interview with NTV television.

"A huge country with so many time zones simply must have its own aircraft industry", he said, calling "a big mistake" the current situation in which "80% of all long-haul aircraft are foreign" and "when our (Russian) medium-and short-range aviation equipment is being substituted today."

"Therefore, we hold with certain regularly all kinds of meetings with the aviation industry representatives, with designers, manufacturing engineers, provide the needed funds for advanced projects," Rogozin said.

Rapid development of military aircraft industry

"As a result, our combat aviation is booming today," the deputy prime minister said. "Here we have recently made a huge stride."

"Take, for example, aircraft of the Sukhoi firm," Rogozin said, citing such achievements as the Su-30SM Su-35S, Sukhoi PAK FA aircraft, the new MiG-35 fighter, which is coming soon."

"We have completely transferred the Ilyushin Il-76 plane production from Tashkent to Ulyanovsk and created a new modernised aircraft, the Il-476 has been 80% upgraded, the work is underway on the strategic aviation renewal," the deputy prime minister said.

According to him, it has been decided to do the same "in the civil aircraft industry," because the "tourist flows due to various reasons will be turning inside the country.".