PRESS: Govt suggests Pobeda buy MC-21 planes instead of Boeing

MOSCOW, Mar 15 (PRIME) -- The Russian government’s sub-commission on the defense industry has suggested that Pobeda, a low-cost affiliate of national flagship carrier Aeroflot, buy Russia-made MC-21 planes instead of Boeing 737 MAX, Vedomosti business daily reported on Friday quoting sources.

Two sources close to United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) – the parent company of MC-21’s producer Irkut – and a source close to Aeroflot told Vedomosti that the government had not yet allowed Pobeda to buy 30 more Boeing 737 MAX planes, while the sub-commission suggested that Pobeda should look into buying MC-21s instead.

Pobeda asked the government’s commission on imports substitution to buy 50 Boeing 737 MAX planes in 2018, and already signed a firm contract to buy 20 with delivery scheduled for 2019–2021. A spokesperson for Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told the business daily that the commission had not even begun consideration of an issue of Pobeda buying 30 more Boeing planes after 2022.

The reason behind the replacement proposal is support to the local aviation industry, not two recent crashes of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. “No one has a goal of undermining Pobeda’s procurements. There is a goal though to unite investment programs of state companies with plans of Russian producers,” the spokesperson said.

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