NOVO-OGAREVO, January 23. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has approved the idea to grant the right to use profitable routes to the airlines that use Russian aircraft.
"As for (most profitable) routes - that is right, it is a good bonus (for airlines that purchase aircraft that are made in Russia)," he said in response to a relevant proposal made by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
"To those companies that buy Russian aircraft, we will provide the necessary benefits, including profitable routes, as well as special incentives of an economic nature, including those related to the leasing of aircraft. We are working in compliance with the plan and I believe that in early spring we will be ready to report the first results," Rogozin said.
The deputy prime minister added that it concerns first of all the routes to the Far East and the countries, which are most popular among Russian tourists.
"In order to protect our domestic market, we regard these routes - these are first of all flights to the Far East and tourist routes to the countries that are most affordable for Russians. These routes will be granted only to those companies, which use Russian built planes there," he said.
According to the deputy prime minister, the problem of a small share of Russian equipment is most relevant for long-haul aircraft.
"The market we have today - it is almost 80% of the Airbus and Boeing. Although some Liberals say that that if a plane is good, they will buy it everywhere, it is not so. Try, for example, to sell Airbus on the US market or Boeing in Europe there are always open and hidden protectionist measures," he said.