Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko supports the accelerated integration of Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing into the world aircraft industry, and assigning additional funds for purchasing domestic aircraft through the state leasing company, the presidential press service has reported.
Yushchenko made the comment while on a visit to the Antonov Design
Bureau, where he was acquainted with the enterprise’s work. In
particular, he viewed the bureau’s aircraft assembly hall and its
dynamic testing and aircraft modeling facilities. The president also
inspected an An-148 aircraft at one of the bureau’s departments. At a
meeting with the enterprise’s staff, he congratulated the employees on
Aviation Day, which was celebrated on August 29.
“The aircraft industry is a driving force that stimulates
technological breakthroughs in related sectors and inventions in all
sectors of the economy,” the president said. At the same time, he
acknowledged that the aviation sector is currently experiencing
difficult times: In particular, there were problems with the state
program of aircraft industry financing in 2002-2008, which led to a
considerable decrease in aircraft construction, the failure of
international contracts, and large debts being racked up at aviation
enterprises.
