Down-To-Earth Boeing Airplanes
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As recently as the early 1980s, it company has a Moscow office, employing ogy specialists to work on Boeing contracts of Boeing Russia and the Commonwealth would have been difficult to imagine the 220 people, that oversees operations in in commercial aviation, information technol- of Independent States. Kravchenko joined Soviet national airline, Aeroflot, flying Russia and the Commonwealth of Indepen- ogy and space. Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen Boeing in 1992, when he helped establish Down-to-Earth Boeing airplanes. dent States. The same building is also employs approximately 100 people at its Boeing’s overall presence in the region. Today, the Russian airline has Boeing home to the Boeing Design Center, which St. Petersburg, Russia, office. Today, Boeing employs some 2,500 full-time jetliners in its fleet and is a customer has about 1,150 contract engineers work- In addition to talent, Boeing has and contract employees throughout Russia. for the 787 Dreamliner. Other Russian ing in concert with Boeing engineers in the developed a number of business alliances Kravchenko said business opportunities carriers, created since the days of the Seattle area. They play an important role within the country, including one to use in Russia have grown dramatically since Cold War, also fly Boeing airplanes. in around-the-clock design support for Russian titanium on the 787 and other the days of the Soviet Union. The country success In late 2010, a diverse, government- Boeing commercial airplane programs. Boeing commercial jetliners. has been open to new outside business After a long, successful partnership on the space owned company, Russian Technologies, “Russia has an excellent talent base of “Russia represents a very good global alliances and is seeking full membership station, Boeing and Russia expand collaboration placed an order for 50 Next-Generation highly educated people,” said Shep Hill, model for Boeing,” Hill said. “We have in the World Trade Organization. 737 airplanes, which will be used by president, Boeing International. “We’ve established partnerships there that have One early sign of this liberalization was on Earth several state-run airlines. This is Boeing’s been able to leverage that talent very enhanced our productivity and given the opening of Russian airspace in 1999 to largest sale to Russia in terms of the num- effectively to support some critical Com- us access to valuable resources. Our allow point-to-point service via polar routes. Stories by Bill Seil ber of airplanes. Some of these planes will mercial Airplanes development programs.” presence and involvement in Russia Kravchenko, representing Boeing, worked arrive before the 2014 Winter Olympics in The company’s oldest Russian facility, have also had a positive effect on our with the Russian government to negotiate PHOTO: Where Russia’s past intersects with its future—St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow. The nearby Boeing Moscow office and Boeing Design Center Sochi, Russia. (See story on Page 48.) the Boeing Technical Research Center, relationship with Russian airlines.” this change, which gave a boost to the sale are leveraging the country’s engineering talent and natural resources to advance critical Boeing’s business activity in Russia was created in 1992. It taps the talent of The company’s operations in Russia of Boeing long-haul jetliners such as the 777. Commercial Airplanes programs. SHUTTERSTOCK is not limited to airplane sales. The Russian scientists and information technol- are led by Sergey Kravchenko, president “This was a critical element to our Russia at a glance Location: Northern Asia, bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean. The largest country in the world by territory with 11 time zones, it covers 6.5 million square miles (17 million square kilometers)—about 1.8 times the size of the United States. Population: 139 million Capital: Moscow Other major cities: St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Nizhni Novgorod National language: Russian Government: Russia has existed as an independent republic since 1991. Current leaders include President Dmitry Medvedev and Premier Vladimir Putin. Gross domestic product (2009 est.): $2.11 trillion Trade partners: (Exports) Netherlands, Italy, Germany, China, Turkey, Ukraine; (imports) Germany, China, Ukraine, Italy, United States Sources: U.S. and Russian governments 42 BOEING FRONTIERS DECEMBER 2010–JANUARY 2011 43 international sales and it would not have increasing revenue in both airplane sales In July 1975, a Boeing-built U.S. Apollo Helping children across which helps families raising children with parts for commercial airplanes, has had happened if Russia had not looked on and services,” Kravchenko said. “But we spacecraft docked with a Russian Soyuz Down syndrome; Children of Russia, an active community involvement program Boeing as a reliable long-term business also want to leverage every oppor tunity spacecraft. In the 1990s, joint missions which provides services to children with since it opened in July 2009. partner,” Kravchenko said. to reduce costs and develop new tech- were held that involved the Boeing-built cancer and blood diseases; and Kidsave Boeing has supplied the children’s He sees “huge opportunities” for com- nologies to improve the com pany’s U.S. space shuttle docking with the Russia International, which helps orphaned chil- hospital in Verkhnaya Salda with equipment mercial airplane sales as Russian airlines productivity and make our airplanes Russian Mir space station. This working dren. Educational programs include the that has significantly improved the facility’s Boeing’s corporate citizenship activities replace their aging Soviet-built fleets. He more competitive worldwide.” relationship became more formal and Moscow School for Continuous Math Edu- diagnostics capabilities and reduced the in Russia extend from Moscow and also sees bright prospects for Boeing Kravchenko notes that the titanium challenging later in the decade as the cation and Junior Achievement–Russia. time needed to conduct laboratory tests, St. Petersburg to a remote community Commercial Aviation Services. As Russian partnership involving Ural Boeing Manu- orbital assembly of the International “I’m very proud of our employees, according to Maria Osnovina, business in the Ural Mountains. airlines adopt Western operational models facturing is particularly significant to Space Station began, with Boeing as who generously donate their time to com- operations manager for Ural Boeing The company has supported more and advancements in technology, they will Boeing. (See story on Page 50.) The NASA’s prime contractor. munity activities,” said Sergey Kravchenko, Manufacturing. This has modernized eye than 50 charitable projects focusing on need support in areas such as training, metal has long been valued by the Kravchenko describes the space president of Boeing Russia and the Com- examinations, heart diagnostics, and ear, health and human services, education, management consulting, engineering, aerospace industry, due to its strength, station as the best symbol of U.S.-Russian monwealth of Independent States. “We nose and throat exams. Urine analysis and arts and culture. Philanthropy efforts information technology and efficient relatively light weight, and resistance to partnership since World War II. (See story don’t have to send e-mails asking them equipment has greatly decreased the include cash grants, in-kind donations and operations. (See story on Page 48.) expansion, contraction and corrosion. on Page 46.) to volunteer; they do it on their own.” time it takes to complete tests. employee volunteerism. Employees are Kravchenko believes Russian expertise “Russian titanium has become one “Apollo-Soyuz was a small crack in the The company’s presence is especially “The technicians who conduct the particularly active in services for children, in engineering, design and information of the great success stories in our global Cold War mentality,” Kravchenko said. “It felt in Verkhnaya Salda, a manufacturing analysis are happy that they’re better able including health and education. technology can strengthen both Boeing supply chain,” he said. showed everyone what both nations could town in the Ural region. A joint venture to help the children,” Osnovina said. “It’s a Among the programs receiving Boeing and its customers. Boeing’s longest period of collaboration accomplish by working together.” n called Ural Boeing Manufacturing, which big change from the old days, when doctors support are the Downside Up Center, “Our Moscow office is focused on with Russia has been in space exploration. [email protected] is involved in the production of titanium might have to wait days to get the results.” n “ Our Moscow office is focused on increasing revenue in both airplane sales and services.” – Sergey Kravchenko, president of Boeing Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States PHOTO: MIKHAIL MELNIKOV PHOTOS: (Above right) Boeing Moscow Communications Director Dmitry Krol and his son, Alex, help restore an airplane at the Monino Aviation Museum, Moscow. (Inset, top) Boeing Moscow lead engineer Alexey Musienko helps out at the city’s Downside Up Center. (Above) Boeing Moscow travel desk receptionist Ilya Poliveev distributes presents at the Downside Up Center. MIKHAIL MELNIKOV 44 DECEMBER 2010–JANUARY 2011 BOEING FRONTIERS 45 The International Space Station together, we’ve accomplished everything In late 2009, Boeing and Russian of the youngest people in the room. “I very much enjoy the Russian people,” represents nearly two decades of we set out to do in the early 1990s,” said aero space company RSC-Energia “I was born on July 16, and I remember Sherrill said. “Politics aside, they’re just Living con tinuous, successful collaboration Mark Mulqueen, Boeing’s vehicle director signed a memorandum of understanding watching the launch of Apollo 11 during like us. They want the same things. They between the United States and Russia, for the space station. He has been to jointly develop a common docking my 10th birthday party,” he said. “It was have the same problems. They want and the dawn of the international working on the program since 1987.