Russian Industry and Trade Ministry to pay 21.7 bln rubles for R&D to expand MC-21 type certificate

MOSCOW. Feb 10 (Interfax) - The Industry and Trade Ministry and PJSC Yakovlev have signed a contract for research and development (R&D) work to expand the type certificate of the MC-21-310 passenger aircraft, according to materials on the public procurement website.

The contract is worth more than 21.7 billion rubles. The work must be completed in three stages by the end of 2027. The materials do not provide details on the order. Interfax has sent inquiries to the ministry and Yakovlev.

The MC-21-310 is the base model of the MC-21 aircraft family, developed by Yakovlev (part of Rostec's PJSC United Aircraft Corporation ). According to the developer's website, the aircraft will be able to carry up to 211 passengers over a distance of up to 5,100 km, with a maximum commercial payload of 21.3 tonnes. According to the latest official information, serial production should start in 2026, after several previous delays.

The aircraft was initially developed through international cooperation, but after the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions, foreign partners withdrew from the project. This led to the need for accelerated import substitution of systems and components. It was reported that the localized MC-21-310 turned out to be heavier than expected, preventing it from achieving the originally stated flight range. A possible solution could be producing a version with a fuselage shortened by one section, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said. The shortened version, MC-21-210, is expected to accommodate approximately 160-170 passengers, Rostec head Sergei Chemezov told Interfax.