Although the aircraft manufacturers are traditionally more conservative, the global aviation industry is going through some really fascinating processes. On the one hand, those are attempts to retain and strengthen further on the duopoly of the two main medium and long-haul aircraft manufacturers through building alliances with key regional plane makers.

On the other hand, new market players are gaining momentum. The Russians, Chinese and Japanese are bracing themselves to conquer their market shares on the regional jet market. The Sukhoi Corporation seems to be the first to pave this challenging way. Similar processes are going on within the long-range sector – Chinese COMAC919 and Russian MC-21 are to grow into significant competitors to the well-known global heavy-weights in this market niche. Finally, the ambitious plans of Russian and Chinese manufacturers to build a new wide-body can break the new ground in the competition between the world aircraft producers.

That is all happening amid steady traffic growth both on domestic and international passenger and cargo flights, massive fleet renewal, introduction of advanced technologies aloft and on the ground, as well as total digitalization of primary and secondary processes.

The future of the Russian air transportation market sets riddles again for its stakeholders. Higher than the world’s average traffic growth rates, energetic fleet extension against uncertain though alarming plans of the national aviation authorities – what will be the best way to balance one’s threats and opportunities?

The answer is obvious: information is a key to efficiency and the basis for building a winning strategy. This year the international aviation Wings of the Future Forum will become an invaluable information source for those who want to figure out how the aviation market in Russia and globally will evolve in the years to come.

Boris Rybak,
Co-chairman of Organizational Committee