Aeroflots CEO Advocates for Strict Regulation of Foreign Aircraft to Boost Domestic Production

The CEO of Aeroflot, Russia’s leading airline, stated that the government must oversee the ratio of domestic to foreign aircraft to support its ambitious plans for local manufacturing and navigate through wartime sanctions.

Aeroflot’s fleet, comprising Airbus and Boeing aircraft, has faced numerous challenges following bans from the U.S. and EU on the provision of aircraft and parts to Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

That summer, the Russian government unveiled a plan to manufacture over 1,000 civilian jets by 2030. However, in the ensuing three years, the production numbers have remained in the single digits due to delays and various manufacturing hurdles.

Sergei Alexandrovsky, Aeroflot’s CEO, shared with the business publication Kommersant that the airline has adjusted to the sanctions effectively.

«We have made significant modifications and enhancements to our projections. I do not exclude the possibility of further increasing our forecasts in the future,» he remarked.

Aeroflot’s optimism is rooted in a shared understanding with the Russian aviation sector that “an effective fleet of aircraft, currently under development, is essential,” Alexandrovsky explained.

«Even if avenues to access international markets and foreign aircraft are reopened, the balance between Russian and Western aircraft needs to be regulated quite rigorously at the governmental level,» he added.

He acknowledged the «growing pains» associated with domestic aircraft but maintained that these could be addressed by gradually introducing the new Yakovlev MC-21 and Superjet aircraft.

“After all, we won’t receive 100 new airplanes all at once,” he confessed to Kommersant, also recognizing that other airlines might resist protectionist measures due to their reliance on Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

“However, whether they are in favor or not is not the key issue,” he asserted. “What’s at stake is the future of Russia’s aviation sector and the return on investments made by the state in developing new and advanced domestic aircraft.”

“We firmly believe that our industry is capable of achieving the high standards it has set for itself.”