Russian replacement for Airbus and Boeing postponed: MC-21 certification to be completed by the end of 2026

Russia will complete the certification of the fully import-substituted MC-21 passenger aircraft by the end of 2026. After that, the first two aircraft will be launched into mass production. This was announced by the head of the Rostec State Corporation, Sergey Chemezov.

Earlier, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov said that the first flight of the fully domestic version of the MC-21 will take place in October 2025. The tests will take about a year and will be the final stage before the start of deliveries to airlines.

MC-21-310 is a Russian medium-range passenger aircraft of a new generation, developed by PJSC Yakovlev as part of the United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec. The aircraft is designed to carry up to 211 passengers and is capable of operating flights over distances of up to 6 thousand kilometers. The aircraft is equipped with domestic PD-14 turbofan engines and has a record share of composite materials — about 40% of the structure. This makes it lighter, more economical and more environmentally friendly than foreign counterparts.

The MC-21 should replace the outdated Tu-154 and Tu-204, and also become an alternative to the Western models Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. The development of a fully Russian version became a necessity after the introduction of sanctions that restricted the supply of foreign components.

Against the background of a global shortage of aviation equipment and a growing demand for domestic transportation, Russia expects to make the MC-21 the basis for updating the civil aviation fleet. The launch of mass production will allow airlines to gradually abandon the maintenance of imported aircraft and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.