The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation proposed to extend the special operating regime for foreign aircraft

The Russian Ministry of Transport has taken the initiative to preserve until the end of 2028 the special conditions for the use of foreign aircraft and aircraft engines obtained by domestic carriers under leasing agreements, according to the relevant changes provided for in the draft government decree.

The proposed amendments, which were reviewed by RIA Novosti, relate to the procedure in force since March 2022 for the execution of lease agreements for foreign aircraft and engines. The special rules apply to contracts concluded by Russian airlines before February 24, 2022, and regulate the operation of aircraft under restrictions from unfriendly states.

Now the transport department proposes to maintain the established procedure for another two years. In the explanatory materials to the initiative, the need for the prompt entry into force of the new regulations is explained by the desire to ensure the continuity of procedures related to the execution of lease agreements and financial leasing of foreign aircraft. The companies are expected to submit their responses by November 17th.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 24 that Russian civil aircraft, in particular the SSJ-100, IL-114 and MC-21, are very good in quality. He stressed that a lot of money had been invested in the development of this technology. At that time, the Russian leader recalled that domestic experts started making Superjet with Western partners, who then left, but nevertheless, they managed not only to cope with the work on this aircraft, but also to improve it.

Some time later, on August 3, the United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec announced the debut flight of the fully import-substituted MC-21 aircraft. The vessel stayed in the air for 1 hour and 23 minutes and rose to an altitude of 6 thousand m. Its speed was up to 600 km/h. During the event, the specialists who monitored its implementation checked the stability and controllability of the aircraft in various configurations.