"MC-21 is already flying. So, we, along with colleagues from the UAC [United Aircraft Corporation], expect it to fly with all domestic systems in August. It is already operating with the PD-14 engine," the minister told the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of the parliament.
On June 26, Russian state corporation Rostec said that the MC-21 aircraft is in the final assembly shop and will soon enter the certification testing program. Testing has already begun in the Russian city of Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region.
The MC-21, a next-generation medium-haul passenger aircraft, incorporates cutting-edge technology and targets the most popular segment of the passenger transportation market.
Rostec anticipates that deliveries of MC-21 to airlines will start in 2026, with over 20 aircraft currently in various stages of production. Aeroflot Group, a key customer, plans to acquire 108 MC-21s by 2030, with a goal of expanding its fleet to 200 by 2033.