Mass production of MC-21 jets put off as US stops materials sales

ABU DHABI, Feb 18 (PRIME) -- Production of debut MC-21 medium-range aircraft has been postponed to late 2020 as the U.S. stopped supplies of composite materials for the wings, CEO of Russian state industrial corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov told reporters on Monday.

“As the U.S. side has suspended supplies of composite materials, we will shift to Russia-made materials. We have necessary solutions and Russian partners, including (state nuclear company) Rosatom. Tests are being finalized now so the launch of mass production of MC-21 has been delayed… to late 2020,” he said.

In January, Kommersant business daily reported that U.S. sanctions against a composite materials producer belonging to Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and a Rostec company stopped imports of materials for MC-21 plane’s wings from Japan and the U.S.

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