Belarus to supply components, assemblies for Russian MC-21 aircraft

MINSK. Sept 30 (Interfax) - A cooperation agreement has been signed between Minsk Civil Aviation Plant No. 407 and the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar Aviation Plant on the sidelines of the INNOPROM. Belarus industrial forum in Minsk, the Belarusian Transport Ministry's press service said in a statement on Tuesday.

"A major contract has been signed between aviation plants in Minsk and Ulyanovsk. Minsk Civil Aviation Plant No. 407 and the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar Aviation Plant signed a cooperation agreement, which provides for the supply of components and assemblies for the MC-21 aircraft," the statement read.

"The signed agreement is the subject of lengthy negotiations and discussions. Preparations for it, including the transfer of technical documentation, took approximately two years. Minsk Plant No. 407 and the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant are already supplying components and assemblies for the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft. Today, we signed a supply agreement for the MC-21 aircraft, which is assembled in the Irkutsk region, while the components and assemblies are manufactured at Aviastar," Russia's Ulyanovsk region Governor Alexei Russkikh was quoted as saying by the Belarusian ministry's press service.

He said that the plant also faces the major objective of raising Il-76 aircraft's output, and therefore requires assistance in manufacturing parts and assemblies. "I believe the number of products manufactured in Belarus for our aviation plants will only increase," Russkikh said.

The serial production of the import-substituted MC-21 is expected to begin in 2026, according to the most recent official information. As reported earlier, the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry and Yakovlev signed a research and development contract to expand the MC-21-310 type certificate in February. Valued at over 21.7 billion rubles the contract has to be executed by late 2027.