The creation of Russian MC-21 aircraft was called a technological breakthrough and an indicator of the country's sovereignty by Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin. He stated this in an interview with Pavel Zarubin for "Vesti".
A technological breakthrough, an indicator of technological sovereignty. "Aeroflot" has taken on a very important mission to be the first.
The MC-21 is a medium-haul narrow-body aircraft developed by the Yakovlev corporation (part of Rostec's OAK) with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers. On September 18, the largest contract in the history of Russian civil aviation was signed for 90 aircraft with deliveries in 2029–2032: 14 liners in 2029, 18 in 2030, 24 in 2031, and 34 in 2032. The agreement includes simulators, pilot training, and maintenance for 22 years. Another 18 aircraft from an earlier contract are expected in late 2027 and 2028.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first MC-21s will operate on short routes with high flight frequency: Moscow – St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Nizhny Novgorod are being considered. This simplifies technical support at the start.
Serial production of the MC-21-310 is scheduled for 2027, while Yakovlev is simultaneously developing a shortened version, the MC-21-210, with increased range.