First flight of fully Russian-made MC-21 passenger plane set for Aug - Rostec CEO Chemezov

MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax) - The first flight of a fully Russian-made MC-21 passenger aircraft should be carried out in August, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday.

"If we talk about the MC-21, over 70 of its systems and units are Russian-made, import-substituted ones. A partially import-substituted plane has flown already, and a fully import-substituted one will take off this August. I hope we'll complete certification flights by the end of 2026 and then will begin serial production," Chemezov said.

The MC-21-310 is the base variant of the MC-21 aircraft family, developed by Yakovlev (part of Rostec's United Aircraft Corporation). According to its website, the aircraft will be able to carry up to 211 passengers over a distance of up to 5,100 km, with a maximum commercial payload of 21.3 tonnes. As reported, serial production should start in 2026, after several previous delays.

The aircraft was initially developed through international cooperation. However, after Russia was subjected to sanctions, foreign partners withdrew from the project, thus necessitating the need for accelerated import substitution of its systems and components. It was reported that the localized version of the MC-21-310 turned out to be heavier than expected, preventing it from achieving the originally declared flight range. First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said a possible solution could be producing a version with a fuselage shortened by one section. Chemezov told Interfax that the shortened variant, the MC-21-210, was expected to accommodate approximately 160-170 passengers.