MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that automobile demand in Russia had rebounded, while the car market had accelerated, he said in his address to the nation’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, reporting on the performance of his cabinet in 2018.
"Last year, we produced 14% more automobiles of all categories than in 2017 which indicates the market’s revival. 12.4% more cars were sold which shows that the consumer demand has increased and, of course, that tells us that the internal climate is getting livelier," said the premier adding that automotive exports also rose by 11.3% in quantitative terms.
Medvedev highlighted the development of the civil aviation industry. "Not so long ago, the industry literally produced aircraft only in single digits, while last year the Russian aviation manufactured 100 civil planes and helicopters. Not an astonishing number either, but at least it’s something," he said. "Last year, we also successfully certified the new Aviadvigatel PD-14 turbofan needed to power the new MC-21 airliner." At the same time, air passenger traffic also increased by 10%. In 2018, Russian airports served more than 200 million passengers, which is a record number in the history of the Russian civil aviation.
The Russian premier added that in 2018, 105 civilian ships were transferred over to customers, while in 2017 this number only reached 83. Moreover, the latest multipurpose nuclear-powered icebreakers are being built. "In 2018, we have finished devising a technical project for a leading nuclear-powered icebreaker which will ensure year-round navigation on the Northeast Passage," he stressed.
According to Medvedev, the transport vehicle industry experienced a double-digit growth rate. "The overall production of rail cars increased by almost 19%, while civil and metro cars rose more than by 50%," the Prime Minister concluded. He pointed out that he had already given instructions to submit additional proposals to develop transport vehicle components production.