Russian government regards production of new middle range Tu-334 aircraft as priority issue

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Alyoshin said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the Russian Cabinet regarded the production of TU-334, a new middle range aircraft, as a priority issue.

He arrived Saturday at the Lukhovitsy machine-building factory, the leading assembly enterprise of the Russian MiG aircraft building corporation where TU-334 aircraft are manufactured.

Alyoshin held a meeting with Ilya Klebanov, Minister of Industry, Science and Technologies, Yury Koptev, head of Rosaviakosmos and representatives of Tupolev and MiG corporations participating.

The major subject of the meeting was the completion of the TU-334 project.

The vice-premier stressed that "the aircraft is urgently needed by the country's economy, it has to replace TU-134 and TU-154 aircraft whose service life is over".

While talking about export prospects of the new Russian aircraft, Alyoshin indicated that "it would be difficult for the new aircraft to enter foreign markets as the European Airbus corporation already produces a corresponding middle range aircraft." Alyoshin added that "the domestic market and markets oriented towards Soviet and Russian standards are unoccupied." At the same time he stated that TU-334 manufacturers were striving to meet international flight safety and comfort standards.