UPDATE: Russia presents new MC-21 plane, 1st supplies seen in 2018

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IRKUTSK/MOSCOW, Jun 8 (PRIME) -- Russian aircraft producer Irkut on Wednesday presented a new MC-21-300 medium-range passenger aircraft, whose first supplies to customers are scheduled for late 2018.

The first flight of the plane will take place sometime in December 2016–February 2017.

Investments in the creation of the MC-21 plane have so far totaled around 100 billion rubles, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) CEO Yury Slyusar told reporters.

“At present, those investments that have been made so far amount to around 100 billion rubles; 80% of the money we received as aid from the government and 20% are the corporation’s own funds,” he said.

Irkut will produce MC-21-200 planes for 132–165 passengers and MC-21-300 for 163–211 passengers. The company has firm orders for 175 aircraft. National flagship carrier Aeroflot has ordered 50 planes.

Demand for MC-21 planes will grow once the flights start, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who participated in the presentation ceremony, said.

Russia should be among leaders in aircraft construction and will continue renewing its civil aircraft fleet, he said.

Sales of MC-21 planes with the new PD-14 engine will start in 2019, Slyusar said.

Russia and Azerbaijan have signed an agreement on supplies of a batch of MC-21 planes for Azerbaijan Airlines, Irkut CEO Oleg Demchenko told Rossiya 24 television channel without specifying the number of planes to be supplied.

(65.2089 rubles – U.S. $1)

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