Medvedev criticizes domestic aviation industry, aircraft quality

MOSCOW, Apr 1 (PRIME-TASS) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticized the domestic aviation industry and called for increasing both the quality and production volume of domestic aircraft, while also ordering the introduction of innovative technology into the industry, and modernizing the air fleet, ITAR-TASS reported Friday.

The Russian government plans to spend over 5 trillion rubles on modernization and development of the country’s aviation industry by 2020, Medvedev said, calling the development one of the priorities of Russia’s economic modernization.

The funds are planned to be used to develop military aviation, as well as modernize civilian airports, update civil aircraft fleets, and improve the quality and accessibility of air travel services.

Medvedev specifically called for increasing the potential of military aviation and re-equipping military aircraft fleets. He also reiterated that large military aviation bases were to be built in Russia.

Medvedev also said that 26 billion rubles were to be spent in 2011 to develop and modernize the ground infrastructure of 38 aviation complexes, including airports in Moscow, Sochi, Kazan, Vladivostok, and the Kuril Islands.

The Russian government plans to continue subsidizing air passenger travel from Siberia and the country’s Far East to western Russia, Medvedev reiterated. Earlier in March, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that the government planned to allocate 2.45 billion rubles to subsidize air travel in 2011, flat on the year.

(28.5162 rubles – U.S. $1)

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