There is no, will be no pause in operations of aviation sector enterprises - Russian deputy PM

MOSCOW/ULYANOVSK. March 16 (Interfax) - Russia is expediting the work on its MC-21 and Sukhoi Superjet 100, SSJ 100, passenger planes, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said, adding that there will be no pause in the operations of the aviation sector's enterprises.

"There is no pause and there will be no pause in the operations of these enterprises. All of them continue operating. I want to stress once again that we are expediting the implementation of our flagship MC-21 and SSJ 100 projects," Borisov's executive office quoted him as saying at a meeting at the Ulyanovsk aviation plant on Wednesday.

Because of the sanctions, the situation in the civil aircraft segment of Russia's aviation industry is more complicated than in the combat aircraft segment, because projects were initially launched in broad international cooperation, he said.

The aviation industry has embarked on import substitution programs in recent years, Borisov said.

"A key objective is to move the implementation of these programs to earlier dates. The entire cooperation system, including engine and equipment producers, is actively working on it," he said.

Borisov said that Russia was considering scaling up the serial production of Ilyushin Il-96 and Tupolev Tu-204 passenger jetliners amid the sanctions pressure.

"Together with our colleagues from the transport cluster, we're completing an analysis of the need and priority measures. Based on the picture we get, we might possibly employ reserves to manufacture more of these planes, as well," he said.  

At the present time, Russia is manufacturing limited series of Il-96 and Tu-204 planes strictly for "special customers," he said.