Solvent demand of Russian airports in anti-icing substances shall be completely met by the local manufacturers using local components only, said minister for transportation Igor Levitin. Russia shall drop its dependence on supply of foreign made components for these substances, he added.

Levitin further said that he recently spoke to the local manufacturers. “We have discussed a necessary production output, only to find out that one of the components needed in the production process is exported from the United States of America”, he noted. This led to the principal decision that the large Russian companies undertaking production of anti-icing substances shall completely rely on local components. “This is a necessary measure to ensure we will not have any more problems related to exports, as it happened last year”, Levitin said.

A shortage of anti-icing substances in Moscow airports was the cause for difficulties with timely aircraft departures at the end of December 2010.

Russia used to be self reliant in this field, but the massive advent of foreign registered Boeing and Airbus aircraft came with the requirements of the foreign manufacturers and aviation authorities that their airplanes shall be treated in complete accordance to the manufacturer’s manuals. Although anti-icing substances had long been used safely, the foreigners found them too aggressive so that performance and safe operations of imported aircraft could be in danger. Subsequently, this made Russian airports and airlines go buying in the west, decline of domestic producers and total dependence on exports.