Russian air carriers may still not see the new domestic MC-21 aircraft in 2026. The head of Rosaviatsiya, Dmitry Yadrov, explained that the start of deliveries directly depends on the completion of certification procedures.
After that, it will take time to accept mass-produced vehicles, train crews, and run-in the aircraft before they enter commercial flights.
It is important to understand that after the certification of aircraft is completed, it takes about three months for airlines to start operating them on commercial lines. This is due to the process of accepting aircraft in mass production, training flight crews, and running-in the aircraft.
From this, it can be concluded that the real start of operation of the MC-21 may be postponed to 2027. The head of Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, spoke about plans to complete the certification of the aircraft at the end of 2026.
It should be recalled that the current version of the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Civil Aviation until 2030 assumes the delivery of 270 units of MC-21-310, and there are four years left to implement the plans.
The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, noted that they intend to reduce the cost of production of the MC-21-310 by attracting alternative suppliers.