Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has advanced deliveries of MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft to Aeroflot airlines from 2025 to 2024 having completed the process of replacing western components with domestically-made ones.
Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec Corp., the holding of company of UAC has been quoted as saying today on the UAC’s Telegram channel. “More than 10 aircraft - MC-21 and SJ-100 - are already being built for Aeroflot, some aircraft are at a high degree of readiness. The timing of bringing new models of domestic aircraft to the market has shifted ‘to the left’ by a year. If we initially aimed for 2025, now large-scale deliveries should start in 2024.”
Financial lease agreements for 18 MC-21-310 aircraft and 34 SJ-100 aircraft were signed between the leasing company Aviacapital-Service of the Rostec State Corporation and Aeroflot. These agreements were inked during the Eastern Economic Forum.
Chemezov highlighted the significance of these agreements and the Russian government support that has made the prices of these domestically-produced aircraft considerably lower than comparable Boeing and Airbus models.
Under the agreements, Aeroflot will lease six MC-21-310 aircraft, while Rossiya Airlines (a part of the Aeroflot group) will receive 12 MC-21-310 aircraft and 34 SJ-100 aircraft.
These agreements build upon the comprehensive program for the development of the Russian air transport industry until 2030, as approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. They are part of an investment project that aims to transfer the first 63 new MC-21-310, SJ-100, and Tu-214 aircraft to air carriers by 2025.
In the previous year, at the Eastern Economic Forum, the Aeroflot Group made a purchase of 339 domestically-produced aircraft. This order included 210 Irkut MC-21-300s, 40 Tupolev Tu-214 narrow-body aircraft, and 89 Irkut SSJ 100/95-NEW regional jets, an updated variant of the Superjet 100.