"Sukhoi" account: engine production plan for SSJ-100 and MS-21 reduced by 1.5 times
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has reduced the number of engines for the advanced SSJ-100, MS-21 and Tu-214, which will be produced in Russia by 2026, Izvestia has learned. Production plans have shifted to the right, and aircraft manufacturers will receive only 128 power units instead of 192 planned in the program of industry development until 2030. Along with this, the plan of aircraft production may be adjusted. According to sources in government agencies, further "updates" cannot be ruled out - because market expectations turn out to be more modest than the parameters laid down in the program.
Engine production
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation has adjusted the volumes and terms of domestic aircraft engines deliveries for 2025-2026, it is stated in the explanatory note to the draft government resolution prepared by the agency.
Until November 2024, the United Engine Corporation (UEC) has delivered only two PD-14 engines to customers, although in October 2023, Alexander Inozemtsev, general designer of UEC-Aviation Engines, reported to Vladimir Putin about the intention to produce 12 PD-14 engines this year and 24 in 2025. The plans for 2025 have been reduced to seven units.
According to information from the explanatory note, 128 aircraft engines are planned to be assembled in the next two years: 24 units in 2025 (six PD-8s, seven PD-14s and 11 PS-90s) and 104 units in 2026 (44 PD-8s, 28 PD-14s and 32 PS-90s). At the same time, certification of the PD-8 has not yet been finalized.
According to the program for the development of the aviation industry until 2030, in 2025-2026 it was planned to produce 192 power units for modern domestic airliners: in 2025 - 66 units (24 PD-8s, 30 PD-14s and 12 PS-90s), and in 2026 - 126 units (48 PD-8s, 48 PD-14s and 30 PS-90s). Thus, the plans for production have been reduced by 1.5 times.
In November 2024, personnel changes took place in the management of UAC. Vadim Badekha, who moved from the post of the head of UAC, was appointed the General Director of the corporation. Andrey Boginsky, head of Yakovlev PJSC, and Konstantin Timofeev, managing director of Tupolev JSC, left their posts. Vadim Badekha took over the management of PJSC Yakovlev and JSC Tupolev directly.
Zufar Mirgalimov, who previously headed Lukhovitsky aircraft plant, became the head of Kazan Aviation Plant (S.P. Gorbunov KAZ, a branch of JSC "Tupolev").
The press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Izvestia that the changes are aimed at synchronizing the plans with the provisions of the Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Civil Aviation Industry (CPGA) until 2030.
"The production of engines is carried out in accordance with supply contracts concluded with aircraft manufacturers. Production of engines earlier than the terms stipulated by the contracts is economically inexpedient and is associated with the emergence of expenses on storage of engines, conservation," the explanatory note says.
It is planned to make up for the volumes in 2027-2030, the document says.
- So far unofficially, but there has already been another adjustment to the plans for the production of airplanes, - said "Izvestia" founder of RunAvia flight safety service, aviation expert Andrei Patrakov.
Rostec's press service told Izvestia that all "quantitative parameters and terms of production of aircraft engines and airplanes are reflected in the KPGA and any adjustments are possible only by government decision."
The state corporation together with ODK plans to put into operation 50 units of special technological equipment necessary for the production of PD-8, PD-14 and PS-90 powerplants, according to a document from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
"Izvestia" sent inquiries to ODK, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), "Aeroflot".
How many airplanes will be produced by 2026
- PD-8 engines are designed for the import-substituted SSJ-100 (two per airplane)," Aviaport executive director and aviation expert Oleg Panteleyev told Izvestia. - PD-14 power units are used for the MS-21-310 (two per aircraft), while PS-90A are used for the Tu-214 (two per aircraft) and Il-96-300 (four per ship).
In addition, for uninterrupted operation of the fleet, engines are needed for return-exchange fund (REF) and repair, the expert notes. At different airlines it is about 10-40%.
- On this basis it is possible to make a calculation of the number of airplanes planned for delivery in 2025-2026, - says Andrei Patrakov. - Judging by the figures of the production program, it does not take into account engines for VOF. Thus, up to 25 SSJ-New and up to 17 MC-21 multi-purpose airliners may enter into service in Russia by the end of 2026.
Previously, the SSJ-100 was powered by Russian-French SaM146 engines, while the MS-21 was powered by PW1431G engines from the US company Pratt&Whitney. The imposition of international sanctions made their further use impossible.
The government approved the Comprehensive Program for the development of the civil aviation industry in 2022. It implied the production of 1,081 airplanes; in May 2024, the planned number of aircraft was reduced to 994. As Kommersant wrote earlier, during an audit of UAC plants, consultants concluded that there was no "economically justified demand" for 1,000 new domestic airplanes.
Why airplane production is delayed
- The main difficulties are not the assembly of airplanes, but the production of components for them," said Andrei Patrakov. - These are mainly airborne equipment, including the domestic airborne collision avoidance system (TCAS). It has been produced for more than 12 years and has not been certified yet. Among other things, the production of the Tu-214, which was developed back in the USSR, has been slowed down because of it.
According to him, now in Tu-214 about 13% of components require import substitution, for MS-21 - 60%, and for SSJ-100 - about 80%.
Izvestia's source in the government agencies said that the conversation about the need to update the aircraft production program is indeed underway, as the document was drawn up based on the negative scenario of the situation, which was not confirmed in the end. Air transportation has not stopped, airplanes fly regularly.
- Based on this, it is necessary to look at the plans and capabilities of airlines for the next five or six years. It is possible that the real expectations of the market may be more modest than the parameters laid down in the current KPGA, - said the source.
According to Oleg Panteleyev, "foreign cars" can serve for another 20-30 years, or even more, but the cost of their maintenance will increase. After a short time they will simply stop paying for themselves, the expert added.
Therefore, in the coming years, about 500 medium-range narrow-body airplanes, such as Airbus 319/320/321 and Boeing 737-800, should be replaced, and then gradually increase the share of domestic airliners, while creating their own repair technologies for all foreign-made units and assemblies, including engines and avionics.
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