Certification of the fully import-substituted MC-21 aircraft has beenpostponed to the end of 2026. According to aviation experts, the delay is due not so much to the reduction of state programs as to technological complexity and a shortage of qualified personnel.
Five Systems Are Holding Back the Entire Project
The head of Rosaviatsiya, Dmitry Yadrov, noted that certification will be completed at the end of 2026, and in the meantime,five key systems remain to be replaced: anti-icing, water-vacuum, collision avoidance, weather radar, and power supply.
Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of the Aviaport agency, noted that the certification test program is "extensive and cannot be compressed."
If we didn't start flying six months ago, we won't be able to finish this year.
Panteleev added that the moreground tests and test flights are conducted, the lower the probability that some defect will not be detected precisely at the testing stage.
There are developments, but their refinement takes time - this is what is slowing down the project.
It's Not About the Money
Ilya Shatilin, editor-in-chief of the FrequentFlyers.ru portal, is confident that the postponement is not related to funding, but to the scale of the task.
Yadrov is talking about five systems in which there is no rocket science. This is more of a cautious and realistic forecast than uncertainty.
The difficulties are exacerbated by the overload of enterprises with defense orders and the consequences of the destruction of the industry in the 1990s.
If you don't promise the authorities, they will find someone who will.
Shatilin believes that expanding cooperation could help the project. For example, with Belarusian enterprises that have expertise in avionics and metal structures.
According to his estimate, the first aircraft will be received by airlines no earlier than 2027, and the promised rate of 72 aircraft per year will not be achieved until 2030.
Staff Shortages and New Workshops
Panteleev also recalled that increasing production is impossible without increasing the number of workers.
Without increasing the number of employees in Irkutsk and at suppliers, this cannot be achieved.
Shatilin added that the industryneeds thousands of engineers, assemblers, and composite specialists.
You can't replace them with migrants. These personnel need to be nurtured and trained in advance.
The new workshop in Irkutsk will not be operational until 2029, and it should ensure the scaling of production. But, according to experts, this will no longer affect the pace of certification and the launch of mass production.
Earlier www1.ru reported that the MC-21 crew decided not to risk landing in strong winds during testing
Read also:
Now on home
The company switched to the Yadro technology stack to improve server management
The complex remained on the KamAZ-6560 chassis and is capable of using two types of anti-aircraft missiles
Over the past 5 years, 140 thousand km of roads have been built and repaired in Russia
The surcharge for the 4x4 hybrid version is 305 thousand rubles
Plans to Improve Verification Procedure on "Gosuslugi" Portal
The Lipetsk Mechanical Plant updated the ventilation system of the hull production
The development reduces the activation energy of thermal decomposition by 25%
"Lenmorniiproekt" has started searching for contractors to carry out the work
Tests of Wire for Tokamak Electromagnetic System Conducted for the First Time
The plant's new components feature reduced noise and high meshing accuracy
The holding acquired 258 electric locomotives and 141 diesel locomotives
The aircraft with hydraulic cylinders and a rotary wing design will be able to carry up to 40 people