The history of V/O Aviaexport began on June 10, 1961, with a resolution of the Soviet Council of Ministers, which tasked the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Trade with exporting civil planes, helicopters and aviation hardware, organizing technical assistance to foreign institutions and companies in the operation of such equipment, and training relevant specialists. A Soviet aviation export-import entity, Aviaexport, was established for that reason and renamed the Aviaexport all-Union export-import association (V/O Aviaexport foreign trade association) in 1964, following a substantial increase in aircraft exports. It received the exclusive right to sell civil aircraft abroad.

Since then, the geography of exports was rapidly growing, the export program was constantly expanding with new types of planes and helicopters, and the international reputation of Soviet-made aircraft was soaring. V/O Aviaexport sought to fully meet the demand for Soviet civil aircraft, received representatives of foreign companies in Moscow, and sent its representatives to negotiations abroad. Numerous specialists from countries buying Soviet aircraft were trained in the Soviet Union under contracts concluded by Aviaexport, which created a vast community of highly trained specialists in those countries.

It became obvious in the 1970s that successful exports of civil aircraft were impossible without the Soviet aircraft industry’s integration into the global aviation community. Back then, V/O Aviaexport, acting together with the Yakovlev and Kamov design bureaus, managed to receive the first airworthiness certificates in the history of the Soviet aircraft industry for Yakovlev Yak-40 planes in Italy and Germany and Kamov Ka-26 helicopters in Sweden. V/O Aviaexport was one of the first organizations that contributed to the development of airworthiness standards in the Soviet Union, the establishment of airworthiness and flight safety institutions Gosaviaregistr and Gosavianadzor, and the Soviet Union’s accession to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). V/O Aviaexport initiated the development of the Soviet system of standards for operational and technical documentation similar to the ATA-100 standards, and the domestic industry’s transition to these standards. The implementation of these standards clearly defined the composition, amount and content of export documentation. It also facilitated negotiations with foreign buyers.

Aviaexport was attached to the Soviet Ministry of Aviation Industry in 1988 on the orders from the Soviet government, which gave an additional boost to aircraft exports. The successful implementation of export contracts by V/O Aviaexport in the life-changing 1990s and the early 2000s supported production and created new jobs at dozens of big enterprises in Russia manufacturing civil aircraft and component parts.

The association was transformed into a joint stock company in 1993 under a resolution of the Russian government.

After-sale service of civil aircraft and airport equipment, including the supply of spare aviation equipment, technical support, organization of repairs of planes, helicopters and hardware, and organization of training (retraining) of pilots and airport personnel of foreign clients, has a significant place in the activity of V/O Aviaexport PLC. V/O Aviaexport PLC has been repeatedly thanked for its great contribution to the development of international economic and scientific-technical cooperation and the effective work to the benefit of the country by the president and the government of the Russian Federation, and has been awarded an honorary diploma as the best Russian exporter.

The V/O Aviaexport foreign trade association has a well-deserved standing and solid reputation in the international aviation community. This is not just because of the high quality and the attractiveness of provided services. A key merit of Aviaexport is the highly professional collective of specialists who boast profound knowledge, vast experience and high sense of responsibility.