Government Okays Drastic Aviation Industry Reform

At a sitting on Friday the Russian government took a decision to elaborate a set of measures for deep-going reform and development of the aviation industry. The Government Information Department reports that these steps are designed to ensure concentration of production on a limited number of scientific-industrial integrated structures. The government has found it expedient to revamp the aviation industry in two stages. At the first stage /2001-2002/, it is intended to establish several corporations uniting enterprises engaged in the development of manufacture of aviation technology and oriented towards creation of priority kinds of military and non-military aircraft, as well as updating them. In the course of the second stage /2002-2004/, on the basis of established holdings will be formed polytechnical intersectoral corporations to ensure the development, manufacture and after-sale servicing of military and non-military aircraft and helicopters, their engines and equipment. At its sitting the government backed up basic principles for reforming the aviation industry. It also decided to employ them for the development of relative federal goal-oriented programmes. They will be put to consideration at one of the upcoming sittings of the government.