According to the terms and conditions of the contract, the airline will receive ninety medium-range airliners during the period from 2029 to 2032

Photo: United Aircraft Corporation

The biggest contract in the history of Russian civil aviation for delivery and after-sales services of the domestically built MC-21 have been signed today in Moscow. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Anton Alikhanov, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and Andrey Nikitin, the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, attended the official ceremony. 

According to the terms and conditions of the contract, the airline will receive ninety medium-range aircraft during the period from 2029 to 2032. The contract includes the cost of aircraft, flight simulators, aircrew training and after-sales services for a period of 22 years. 

The MC-21 is a new generation medium-range passenger aircraft that seats up to 211 passengers. The airliner was created using advanced design solutions and is oriented to the most popular segment of the passenger carrier market. Advanced aerodynamics, the PD-14 engines and latest-generation systems offer high aircraft performance and a new level of passenger and crew comfort. The airliner has larger windows, wider aisle and more roomy overhead bins. 

After sanctions imposed in 2022 and when foreign partners refused to cooperate, the airliner had to be rebuilt anew: about 80 local systems and units, including engines.

“Nowadays, no country across the world produces civil aircraft all on its own. American and European manufacturers cooperate with foreign suppliers. Aircraft engines are produced only in four countries, apart from Russia. Due to support of the president and government, our country was able to do it all by itself within a record-breaking period. At the same time, the industry needs contracts that expressly specify conditions of delivery: number of airliners, timeframe and price. Passenger airliner production is actually a long and costly process taking from one and half to two years. Contract with Aeroflot provides straightforward load for years to come and a basis for consistent scaling-up the commercial production,” said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rosteс State Corporation. 

The first airliners under the new contract will be delivered in 2029. In 2027-2028, Aeroflot will receive the first batch of eighteen МС-21s under the agreement signed in 2023. The contract signed today ensures complex maintenance and support of all one hundred and eight МС-21s during 22 years since the date of delivery. Moreover, airlines will be provided with full flight simulators and cockpit procedure trainers. The agreement also implies maintenance personnel training, software provision for aircraft maintenance and other after-sales services.