Aeroflot, Rostec sign contract on supply of 90 MC-21 aircraft
MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - Aeroflot and Rostec subsidiaries have signed a contract on the supply and post-sale servicing of 90 MC-21 aircraft, an Interfax correspondent reported from the signing ceremony at Sheremetyevo Airport, which Russian President Vladimir Putin attended via video link.
Under the terms of the deal, Aeroflot will receive the aircraft between 2029 and 2032: 14 units in 2029, 18 in 2030, 24 in 2031 and 34 in 2032. The contract also includes the supply of flight simulators, flight crew training services and post-sale maintenance for a period of 22 years, the companies said in a joint press release.
On behalf of Rostec, the document was signed by United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) , the leasing company Aviacapital-Service, and United Engine Corporation (UEC). Manufacturing each aircraft takes between one and a half and two years. The contract with Aeroflot ensures a clear production workload for years to come and lays the foundation for the systematic ramp-up of serial production, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov noted. In turn, UAC CEO Vadim Badekha announced plans to establish a strategic partnership with Aeroflot focused on the efficient entry into service of the new aircraft. Maintenance for the MC-21s to be delivered to Aeroflot will be handled by UAC, the airline's CEO, Sergei Alexandrovsky, had previously explained.
The initial contract for the delivery of MC-21 aircraft between Aeroflot and Rostec entities was signed in 2023, covering 18 aircraft. Delivery of the first eight jets is expected in the fourth quarter of 2027, with the remaining ten arriving in 2028, according to Alexandrovsky. During the initial phase of operations, the plan is to deploy the aircraft on short-haul routes, such as Moscow-St. Petersburg and Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod, where backup capacity could be arranged quickly and high-level technical support is already in place.
The MC-21 is a medium-haul passenger aircraft with a capacity of up to 211 passengers. The airliner was originally developed through international cooperation. However, foreign partners withdrew from the project following sanctions being imposed against Russia, thus necessitating an accelerated import-substitution program for systems and components. Chemezov previously said that the completion of certification flights and the launch of serial production for the import-substituted version of the MC-21 are scheduled for 2027. Prior to this, the timeline had been repeatedly postponed.
