The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia expects to launch research and development work (R&D) on a shortened version of the new MC-21 aircraft and a new wide-body aircraft in 2026. This was announced by the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Anton Alikhanov.
According to him, it is too early to name specific dates yet.
We plan to launch several R&D projects next year, both for a shortened version of the MC-21 and for a new wide-body aircraft.
The Ministry of Transport stated that the flight characteristics of the MC-21 currently do not meet the planned ones. Certification tests of the aircraft will be completed in August 2026, while its cost has increased from 4.6 to 7.6 billion rubles.
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