New MC-21-310: What kind of aircraft, characteristics, prospects, and role in Russian aviation

MC-21 ("Mainline Aircraft of the XXI Century") is a new Russian passenger aircraft belonging to the class of medium-range and narrow-body aircraft. The developer of the aircraft is the PJSC "Yakovlev" company (part of the United Aircraft Corporation, UAC).

The goal of the project is to create a domestic airliner for domestic and international flights, capable of replacing both outdated Soviet models and competing with Western counterparts in the civil aviation market.

Characteristics of the MC-21 aircraft

According to UAC plans, the family includes several modifications. As of August 2025, two of them have been developed—MC-21-310 with the Russian PD-14 engine, and MC-21-300 with the American power unit Pratt & Whitney PW1400G.

After the introduction of large-scale sanctions, priority in development was given to the first version, which incorporated completely domestic units and systems. The maximum flight range of the aircraft is up to 5100 km. At the same time, the MC-21-300 version has a higher figure—6000 km.

The capacity of the aircraft is 163 seats in a typical two-class (147—economy and 16—business) layout, as well as 211 seats in a single-class layout.

• Fuselage width—4.06 m

• Cruising speed—870 km/h

• Maximum cabin width—3.81 m

• Length—42.25 m

• Wingspan—35.9 m

• Length—42.25 m

• Maximum take-off weight—85 t

• Height—11.45 m

What engine is in the MC-21 aircraft

Initially, the MC-21 was planned with two types of engines to choose from: the Russian PD-14 and the American Pratt & Whitney PW1400G. The American aircraft engine was certified in 2016 and installed on the first prototypes of the aircraft.

In addition, according to the plans, the first production aircraft were to be equipped with PW1400G, and then begin to produce models with PD-14. However, in March 2022, Pratt & Whitney stopped supplying engines due to sanctions, so the MC-21 will be equipped only with domestic engines.

PD-14 is a turbofan power unit with a thrust of 14 tons. The main developer of PD-14 is ODK-Aviadvigatel, the manufacturer is ODK-Perm Motors (part of the United Engine Corporation, UEC).

The development of the power plant started in 2008. In the fall of 2018, the power plant was certified, becoming the first official certification of a domestic aircraft engine in 30 years. In April 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade allocated more than 14 billion rubles for the improvement of the engine.

Development and testing stages

The MC-21 is assembled at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (part of PJSC "Yakovlev"). Some elements are supplied by factories in other regions. For example, the production of composite wing components is carried out by the Kazan company "KAPO-Composite" and the Ulyanovsk plant "Aerocomposite".

Future of the MC-21 aircraft

According to the comprehensive program for the development of civil aviation, 270 MC-21-310 aircraft will be delivered to airlines by the end of 2030. The largest customer was the Aeroflot Group, which will receive 108 aircraft by this time, although in 2022 it was supposed to deliver 210 aircraft. Another 92 aircraft will be transferred to the airline by 2032. Other buyers include: Smartavia (45 aircraft), Aurora (15) and IrAero (7).

Earlier www1.ru reported that China will not take off without the PD-35: it has no other engine for the C-929 wide-body aircraft.

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