17 Aug 2011 19:41

MS-21 passenger jets to be available in 6 yrs

ZHUKOVSKY. Aug 17 (Interfax) - Deliveries of the MS-21 passenger jet will begin in 2017, said Alexei Fyodorov, the head of the plane's manufacturer, Irkut .

Fyodorov made the announcement as he accompanied Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on his tour of the United Aircraft Corporation pavilion at the MAKS 2011 air show outside Moscow on Wednesday.

The mockup of the mid-range MS-21, which is earmarked to replace Russia's large and aging fleet of Tu-154 passenger jets, was one of the displays Putin visited.

Fyodorov said deliveries of the new plane would begin in 2017, in response to a question from Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, who also accompanied the prime minister.

Putin also toured the mockup of the Il-76MD90.

RTS$#&: IRKT