On February 9, Russia's (and the Soviet Union's) civil aviation industry celebrated its 100-year anniversary. In honor of the day, President Putin held a meeting with high-level representatives of the industry, congratulating them on being part of the country's evolution and promising that the government will continue to prioritize the development of the civil air fleet.

The actual centenary of Soviet/Russian civil aviation is a little hard to pin down as there were routes being established already in 1921, and, for instance, Tupolev was founded in 1922. However, the date that is officially recognized is February 9, 1923, when the Labor and Defense Council of the USSR issued a resolution titled "On empowering the Central Air Fleet Administration to handle technical supervision over airlines and on founding the Civil Aviation Council."

The industry has obviously gone through three incredibly turbulent years, first with the pandemic and then with the sanctions levied against Russia as a result of Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine. Meanwhile, in celebration of the anniversary, President Putin first released an official statement and then presented state awards at a gala dinner in the Kremlin.

Speaking on the current state of Russia's civil aviation industry during the event, Putin said, as reported by news outlet Vedomosti,

"In 2022 alone, 174 billion rubles were allocated for state support of the industry. And the work will continue, including a large-scale reconstruction of airports and the renewal of the flight fleet."

Among the recipients of the awards were the Minister for Transport, Vitaly Savelyev, and the head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, also known as Rosaviatsia (both received Order "For Merit to the Fatherland," third class), and the Chief Executive Officer of the state-owned Aeroflot Group, Sergey Alexandrovsky (Badge of Honor of the Russian Federation).

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For the Fatherland

In a previous communication published on the website of the Russian Ministry of Transportation, Putin also lauded the impact that civil aviation has had on the evolution and development of both the USSR and Russia. He stated that the development of the civil air fleet was "a bright chapter in the history" of the country and "a strong fusion of creative work, courage and daring dreams of representatives of various professions."

"...legendary designers who created advanced models of airliners, brave testers who put new equipment, pilots and crews on the wing, who laid routes to the Arctic, to hard-to-reach regions of Siberia and the Far East. Inspired by a common idea, they glorified our Fatherland as one of the leading aviation powers in the world"

Irkut MC-21-300 test aircraft in the sky
Photo: fastailwind/Shutterstock

Promise of new air routes and prioritization of fleet

He also thanked the highly qualified specialists currently working in the field, continuing,

"The successful solution of the most important problems of the industry, reliable flight safety, timely delivery of passengers and cargo depend largely on your competence, clarity, and responsibility. I emphasize that the state will continue to give priority to the development of the civil air fleet, strengthening interregional transport links, improving the infrastructure and opening new, promising air routes."

What is your view on how Russian civil aviation will continue to evolve over the coming decade? Will it meet its target of a thousand new aircraft? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Source: Vedomosti, Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation