MOSCOW - U.S. aerospace giant Boeing expects to sell more than 1,000 aircraft worth over $110 billion to Russian airlines over the next 20 years, Boeing International president Shephard Hill said in an interview with television channel RT.
The financial crisis has affected everyone and this is a difficult period for the whole world, but the United States is gradually coming out of the crisis, while Asia and the Middle East were not as hard hit by the crisis, he said.
Russia’s GDP is now growing steadily, and this paving the way for growth in the country’s aviation sector, Hill said.
This is a big market for Boeing and the company expects to sell more than 1,000 aircraft to Russian airlines over the next 20 years, which amounts to more than $110 billion, Hill said. Therefore, Boeing and other U.S. companies think the Russian market is very promising, he added.
Hill also said that Boeing plans to spend almost $18 billion over the next 30 years on the products of Russian titanium producer VSMPO.
Boeing is probably VSMPO’s biggest customer, and Russia is the aircraft maker’s main supplier of titanium, as well as a key partner in engineering design, Hill said, recalling that the company has a design center in Russia. In addition, Russia is Boeing’s second most important partner in the area of information technology, he said.
Hill also said that Boeing is prepared to help the Russian government with preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The company’s goal is to ensure the safety of flights and effective use of the air space, because the number of flights will increase dramatically, he said.
Russia is the world’s sixth biggest buyer of Boeing products, according to the company.
