A meeting was held at the Irkutsk Aircraft Factory with the participation of representatives of the United Aircraft Corporation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Federal Air Transport Agency and the leadership of the region.
An off-site interdepartmental meeting chaired by First Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin was held at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of the United Aircraft Corporation Rostec. The senators got acquainted with the production cycle of the MC-21 aircraft, inspected the assembly and final assembly line, and also held a meeting with the participation of Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region, Gennady Abramenkov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Yadrov, Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, and Vadim Badekhi, General Director of the UAC.
"On behalf of the Chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko, our delegation visited the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. The task is to find a middle ground, a balance between the interests and the real production and technological capabilities of aircraft factories and their suppliers, the need to ensure the financial efficiency of airlines and, of course, to meet the demand of our citizens for affordable and safe air transportation. It is very important that the interdepartmental meeting is being held at the country's largest airline, where our modern MC-21 airliner will be produced. Irkutsk Aviation Plant and our other manufacturers have to solve an unprecedented task for the modern global aircraft industry. Russia independently develops and manufactures up to 100% of materials, elements, technologies, aggregates, and systems. And we see that, despite all the difficulties, we are steadily moving forward," said Andrey Yatskin, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council.
At the workshop, the managers discussed the progress of the project on testing and certification of the domestic liner, ensuring the loading of the plant and cooperation under the MC-21 program.
"MS-21 certification is in the active phase. We work closely with the aviation industry, with the UAC. Certification flights are performed. Bench tests are actively underway, and the necessary evidentiary documentation is provided. This will become the basis for the approval of the aircraft for civil operation. Work is actively underway to replace the systems. In total, the aircraft has more than 200 systems and subsystems. To date, the five extreme components of the subsystems are in the final stage of approval. I am confident that in the time frame that has been determined so far — the end of next year — the aviation industry, UAC, together with Rosaviation, will be able to finalize all necessary measures to complete certification tasks," said Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviation.
To implement the MS-21 program, a new high-tech production facility has been created, advanced technologies have been mastered, and automated lines have been built, which has improved the speed and quality of work. A final assembly workshop, a logistics center and a hangar for ground testing and customization of airliners were built specifically for civilian purposes. The process of updating the machine park is also underway. For example, work is underway to commission machines for processing titanium. The new equipment will significantly reduce the processing time of parts, increasing labor productivity.
"Russia is the only country in the world where civil aircraft are produced entirely within one country. In addition to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, hundreds of aviation industry enterprises throughout Russia participate in cooperation under the MC-21-310 program, most of which are part of Rostec State Corporation. In parallel with the development work, a large-scale pre-production program is being implemented. These are thousands of new machines, hundreds of thousands of square meters of new space. Today, mass production of new aircraft is already in full swing so that, promptly after receiving the type certificate, we can put aircraft on line for our airlines and our passengers. To fulfill the demand that exists on the market, our facilities are fully ready," said Vadim Badekha, CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation Rostec, member of the Soyuzmash Bureau.
The company employs about 12,000 employees. The annual output per IAP employee exceeds the industry averages.
Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Kobzev said that today, realizing the high importance of the tasks set for the implementation of the investment project, the regional government, together with the Irkutsk Aviation Plant and the city administration, is working to create infrastructure and create comfortable conditions for the company's employees.
"Irkutsk Aviation Plant is a modern high—tech production facility. Based on the decision of the President of the Russian Federation and as part of the instructions of the Chairman of the Government of Russia, we are working together with the aircraft factory to increase the capacity of the industrial site. Professional personnel are of great importance for development, and the regional Government is working on this task. We understand how important it is to create comfortable conditions for the employees of the aircraft factory: housing is being built here, socially significant facilities are being repaired, and transport accessibility issues are being worked out. We understand that this is a new point for the development of Irkutsk," Igor Kobzev emphasized.
In particular, the roads on Mira, Krymskaya, Makarenko, and Shishkin streets have been repaired in the microdistrict, and about 400 additional parking spaces have been created for the airline's employees. The renovation of kindergarten No. 10 and the hockey court on Ukrainskaya Street has been completed. New low-floor buses of large capacity have been launched on municipal routes to the Second Irkutsk.
