Russia accelerates push for homegrown aircraft to replace foreign jets by 2030

Russia's aviation industry is set to receive 644 new aircraft by 2030, Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin announced at the Innovations. Technology. Production forum, according to TASS.

In his presentation, the minister detailed the breakdown of the required fleet expansion: four long-haul aircraft, 332 medium-haul, 98 short-haul, and 210 planes for regional and domestic routes.

Under the Comprehensive Aviation Industry Development Program (CAIDP) as of the second half of 2024, Russia had initially planned to produce 994 aircraft by 2030—though these figures were described as "forecasted" rather than mandatory targets.

Currently, Russia's passenger fleet stands at 1,089 aircraft, of which 689 are foreign-made and 391 domestically produced. Expanding the fleet with new Russian-built planes, Nikitin noted, will help reduce long-term reliance on foreign suppliers.

"We have an enormous demand for domestically produced aircraft that must be met," the minister emphasized, underscoring the scale of the challenge. "We need not only to build these planes but also to maintain and repair them—a massive undertaking."

Aeroflot has already signed contracts for 18 MC-21 aircraft and is negotiating a deal for an additional 182. Meanwhile, S7 Airlines is preparing to finalize an order for 100 Tu-214 jets.

Implementing these plans will require significant expansion and modernization of aircraft manufacturing facilities, as well as training a skilled workforce—efforts that are already underway.

It is also worth noting that a new production plan for domestic aircraft, extending through 2035, is currently in development.