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The Expert States it is Possible to Save the Ukrainian Aviation Industry with the Help of Private Investors

Anatoliy Vovnianko, the former deputy chief designer at Antonov State Enterprise, a leading designer of An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya believes that state-owned enterprises of the industry are ineffective, which leads to a decline in the aircraft industry, and the largest ‘still alive’ enterprises of the aviation industry became hotbeds of corruption,

If Ukraine plans to preserve and develop its aviation industry, the largest manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft engines should be managed by private investors. It is stated by Anatoliy Vovnianko, an expert in the aircraft industry, former deputy chief designer at Antonov State Enterprise, the leading designer of the An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya, Anatoliy Vovnianko in the article for the Khvylia portal.

State-owned enterprises of the industry are ineffective, which leads to the decline of the aircraft industry, and the largest ‘still alive' enterprises of the aviation industry have become hotbeds of corruption, he said. Scientific and industrial developments in the field of aircraft construction require huge investments, and Ukraine just does not have such funds, which leads to stagnation of the entire industry.

‘It is impossible to inject multibillion-dollar budgetary funds to preserve all the remains of the industry in the current economic situation. The aviation industry requires huge investments (hundreds of millions and billions of dollars) in its current condition. But the state does not have it. It is necessary to revise the list of enterprises that will remain in state ownership, and sell the rest,’ Vovnianko describes an effective, in his opinion, way of saving the Ukrainian aviation industry. 

He is convinced that the low professional level of government officials and ineradicable corruption in the aviation industry will lead to its complete degradation and Ukraine's loss of its former glory as one of the few ‘aviation powers’ in the world. As an example, in his article, the expert cites many government projects in the Ukrainian aviation industry that were failed due to the low qualifications of government officials and corruption.

 

‘It is known that in many countries enterprises like the Kharkiv State Aviation Manufacturing Enterprise (known as the Kharkiv Aviation Plant) were transferred, figuratively speaking, for $1 to investors, on the condition that they keep its production activities and invest heavily in repayment debt and development. In particular, Kharkiv businessman Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi said that he was ready to invest up to $1 billion in the enterprise. Catch him at his words and do something, because the state-owned enterprise will eventually ‘die’, says Vovnianko.

Ukraine should stop the practice of ‘finishing off’ its aviation industry on a command from abroad, and the Ukrainian authorities should show wisdom and create good working conditions for Chinese investors who have acquired the Ukrainian Motor Sich plant, the author believes.

‘Ukraine is incredibly lucky because Chinese investor has appeared. He is very interested in using Ukrainian engines. China has already significantly outstripped Ukraine in the field of aircraft creation (30 years ago they considered it fortunate to get information or blueprints on aircraft and rocketry in Ukraine), especially the military, but they are still behind on aircraft engines. Here the Ukrainian authorities would show statesmanship and create normal conditions for the investor, including the preservation and development of production in Ukraine, but no. Since the United States hinders the development of Chinese high technologies in every possible way, including aviation, not to allow a global competitor, they are hindering this deal. It is clear that the United States does not need Ukrainian engine building, as they say, because 6th generation engines have already been created there, and we have stayed nearly at the level of the 3rd generation since the USSR. If Ukraine misses such an opportunity, it will also lose aviation engine building in the end as it will require multibillion-dollar investments for its development,’ Anatoliy Vovnianko describes the current situation.