MOSCOW. Jan 13 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Aviation and Space Agency considers 2003 the critical year for the Russian aviation industry, Valeri Voskoboinikov, the agency's first deputy director general, said on Monday.
"There is much work to do within the federal civil aviation development program in 2003. The work is about the development of new aircraft and commission/upgrade of already created civilian aircraft of a new generation," Voskoboinikov told Interfax- Military News Agency.
It will be 2003, he said, that the certification trials of the TU-334 short-range 100-seater will be finished in accordance with a relevant governmental decision. That will complete the line of Russian-made civilian aircraft.
"We have the IL-96 long-range wide-body aircraft, as well as the medium-range TU-204 and its derivatives. The IL-114 short- range 64-seater created within the previous federal program has been certified and has already become operational. In addition, the AN-38 26-seater equipped with Russian-made TVD-20 engines has also been certified," Voskoboinikov said.
According to Voskoboinikov, the results of the regional jet tender launched in 2002 might be announced in late January to early February.
Another problem, he said, will be to upgrade the operational fleet to meet the ICAO requirements. To lift all the limitations will be a tough job, he added.
"We must also move further to the next generation of aircraft. This work is in progress within the federal program," Voskoboinikov said.