Lukashenko: Belarus is ready to launch production of components for Russian aircraft

Belarusian enterprises are ready to launch the production of components for Russian aircraft, President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, transmits BelTA.

During the meeting, it was said that the Kazan Aviation Plant had returned to the mass production of the Tu-214 passenger aircraft. Belarus, according to Lukashenka, retained the necessary competencies and production capacities for the production of a number of parts for this aircraft.

“Today we produce almost half a thousand parts for Russian aircraft,” he added.

As BelTA notes, the Minsk Civil Aviation Plant No. 407 and the Kazan Aviation Plant earlier announced their intention to sign a roadmap for the production of components for Tu-214 aircraft. The Kazan enterprise expects to increase production to 70 Tu-214 aircraft by 2030.

Former Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus Aleksey Avramenko declaredthat Belarus has reached certain preliminary agreements with Russia on the supply of Russian Sukhoi Superjet New and MS-21 aircraft. “But we will reach a more concrete result when the MS-21 aircraft actually appears,” he said then.

After the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the EU, the UK and the US imposed sanctions against the Russian aviation industry, including a complete ban on the supply of aircraft and components. Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which form the basis of the Russian fleet, fell under it. Aircraft insurance and maintenance were banned, and foreign leasing companies began to recall aircraft already delivered.

As a response to the current situation, the government of the Russian Federation in June 2022 approved a new program for the development of the aviation industry. It provides for the supply of 1,036 aircraft for the needs of civil aviation until 2030. Of these, 142 SSJ New (“import-substituted” SSJ) and 270 MS-21-310 aircraft.