Russia needs to continue developing the promising import-substituted MC-21-310 aircraft due to the risk of falling behind Western trends. This was stated by the chief designer of the airliner, Vitaly Naryshkin.
He recalled that the popular Boeing 737 made its first flight back in 1967, but continues to operate successfully on regular flights.
This is because the aircraft designers did not abandon its constant improvement to meet increasing modern requirements. Naryshkin emphasized that the same plans are in place for the MC-21.
It's impossible to do otherwise now. And the Airbus 320, our closest competitor, which was laid down in the 80s and started flying in the late 80s, is also constantly being improved. And we need to do the same. Otherwise, we will fall behind again, because progress is very powerful now.
Prior to this, Naryshkin said that the MC-21 became in many ways revolutionary for the aviation industry thanks to the use of composite materials. However, this did not become an absolute novelty for aircraft construction.