Russian flag carrier Aeroflot has signed a contract with United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) for 90 MC-21-310 narrowbody aircraft, expanding its firm commitments for the domestically produced airliner to 108 units. Deliveries under the new agreement are scheduled for 2029–2032.
The contract, signed on 18 September, covers aircraft leasing, flight simulators, and 22 years of after-sales support. UAC will provide comprehensive technical maintenance for the aircraft. The agreement was concluded with leasing company Aviakapital-Service, which is participating in the financing and delivery arrangements.
Aeroflot’s initial firm contract, signed in 2023, covers 18 MC-21-310 aircraft. The airline expects to receive eight aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2027, followed by the remaining 10 in 2028. The combined order book for the Aeroflot Group, including Rossiya Airlines and Pobeda, will therefore reach 108 aircraft.
The airline intends to deploy its first MC-21 aircraft on short-haul routes, including services between Moscow and St Petersburg and Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. Pilot selection has already been completed, while training for flight crews, cabin staff and maintenance personnel is scheduled to begin in 2027.
Production of the MC-21-310 at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant is being ramped up towards a target output of 36 aircraft annually. Eighteen airframes are currently at different stages of assembly at the facility. Completion of the certification flight-test programme and approval by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) are expected in 2027. Approximately half of the certification test programme had been completed by early summer 2026.
The contract adds a substantial launch commitment for the import-substituted MC-21-310 as the programme approaches certification and initial commercial deliveries. The production ramp-up and completion of certification remain important factors in determining the timing of fleet introduction.
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