S7 would like to order MC-21 airliners but does not expect mass production soon - CEO

MOSCOW. Oct 12 (Interfax) - S7 Group, which includes airlines S7 and Globus, would like to order Russian MC-21 medium-range passenger airliner, but does not expect them to be mass produced in the next few years, group CEO and co-owner Tatyana Fileva said.

The group is ready to order the MC-21 once it becomes available, but there will not be any soon, Fileva told reporters on the sidelines of the Woman Summit. "They're only saying that they'll produce in 2025, [but] in 2025 they'll actually produce almost nothing, they'll only start ramping up production," she said.

The first six MC-21 aircraft with Russian PD-14 engines will be delivered for commercial operation in 2024, the CEO of state corporation Rostec (consolidates the aircraft industry), Sergei Chemezov said earlier. The planes are expected to be delivered to Rossiya Airlines, which is part of the Aeroflot group.

Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said later that commercial deliveries of the fully "Russified" version of the airliner will begin in 2025.

Fileva said the existing foreign fleet in Russia will continue to fly for the next 10 to 15 years.

"There will be a Russian fleet, but how many airplanes do we have in the country? We have about 600 narrow-body planes alone, if I'm not mistake [...] In other words, it won't be replaced by starting to produce a few. Of course, the foreign fleet should be flying for the next 10-15 years, then there will be time for Russian production to ramp up [...] Of course they'll start producing [Russian aircraft], it's just going to be slowly. And we, of course, will take the MC-21, we'd like to take it," Fileva said.

After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, western countries stopped supplying civilian aircraft and spare parts to Russia and required leasing companies to get leased planes back from Russia.