Russia's government is expecting serial production of the Irkut MC-21 to be pushed back by up to two years, and has outlined optimistic plans to ramp-up output of older and less fuel-efficient types in the interim. During a briefing that followed a presidential meeting on the state of the air transport sector, deputy prime minister Yuri Borisov admitted that the country's civil aviation industry is "facing a serious challenge" given the sanctions which prevent supply of foreign aircraft and spares. "Certain decisions have been made," he says, insisting that the "vast majority" of the Airbus and Boeing fleet - those aircraft not already repossessed following the introduction of sanctions after Moscow's military invasion of Ukraine -"will remain in Russia". "They are entered into the Russian register and reinsured by Russian insurance companies," Borisov says.
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