Russian govt mulling several options to produce regional aircraft
GORKI. Sept 10 (Interfax) - Proposals on the development of regional aviation will be submitted to the government in October, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Several options are on the table for the production of short-haul aircraft, including the modernization of the old fleet, namely the An-2.
"The An-2 is going to go supersonic?" Medvedev joked.
The An-2 could get foreign-made engines to extend its service life by seven-to-ten years, Dvorkovich said. "That time could be used to design a new range of Russian planes," he said.
Another option is to use foreign-made planes "with various degrees of localization inside Russia," Dvorkovich said, adding that he was talking about planes like Dornier, Pilatus and so on.
"We'll submit all proposals in October, as you instructed," he said.
