The Irkut MC-21 is a series of twin-engine short-range and mid-range Russian jet airliners set to replace Soviet Tu-134 and Tu-154 aircraft and its analogues.
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The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who congratulated the national aircraft industry, as MC-21 became the first Russia’s medium-range passenger aircraft developed this century.
The prime minister added that it is necessary to work in this direction, and “we will continue to renew our park of civilian aircraft”.
MC-21 is a family of new generation medium range 200-seat single-aisle jets with wide-body aircraft comfort.
Medvedev also pledged that Russian Federation would keep updating its domestically-produced civil aircraft. (IFC) have signed a memorandum of intent for the supply of Irkut MC-21 planes to Azerbaijan.
The aircraft is scheduled to come into service in late 2018.
A Russian-built engine, PD-14, is also being developed by Perm-based Aviadvigatel for the MC-21 and is now undergoing ground testing.
Irkut said that it has signed contracts with a number of airlines, including Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot, UTair and the Kyrgyzstan Air Company, for the delivery of 175 planes and that it had preliminary agreement to sell another 100 planes.
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Sales of MC-21 Airliners are expected to begin in 2019.
