UAC is preparing a contract with Aeroflot for up to 90 MC-21-310 narrowbody aircraft, targeting signature by the end of the year as it looks to expand output of its flagship commercial programme.
The agreement follows an earlier commitment for 18 aircraft, with deliveries tied to completion of type certification. UAC said the first production-standard MC-21 jets are already assembled and are awaiting approval of design modifications required for certification.
According to UAC president Vadim Badekha, the commercial framework for the larger batch has been agreed, but final closure depends on financing conditions. High borrowing costs remain a key constraint, feeding directly into lease rates and overall affordability for airlines.
As of 1 June 2026, around 20 MC-21-310 airframes are in final assembly at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, UAC said.
The company estimates demand for roughly 500 aircraft over the next decade, driven by fleet renewal as foreign-built aircraft are gradually phased out of Russian operators’ fleets.
UAC continues to position the MC-21 as its core single-aisle platform for domestic routes, with certification testing aimed at validating a 4,000 km range requirement. The figure is considered sufficient for most trunk and regional services within Russia.
A unified branding strategy is also under development for the MC-21 and SJ-100 families under the Yakovlev design bureau, with initial deliveries potentially entering service under a single commercial name.
Industry officials acknowledge that operating economics remain a constraint, with lease and ownership costs still above comparable Western aircraft due to high financing costs and low initial production volumes. UAC expects unit costs to decline as output scales up.
The programme is now transitioning from industrial ramp-up to early delivery phase, with timing ultimately dependent on certification completion and financing structures available to carriers.
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