The Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAP) is continuing its expansion of production capabilities to facilitate a build rate of 36 MC-21 aircraft per annum. New workshops are being constructed, and state-of-the-art equipment is being commissioned. However, considering the planned retirement of foreign-built aircraft in Russia over the next decade, the current level of expansion and modernisation may prove insufficient.
The technical re-equipment project for the Irkutsk Aviation Plant is included in the register of investment projects for the regional centre. The decision was made at a meeting of the investment activities commission under the city administration. The project’s implementation is scheduled to run until 2030. The primary objective is to master the series production of the MC-21, reaching an output of 36 aircraft per year by 2027, as well as to conduct major overhauls and upgrades of military aviation equipment within the established timelines and to the required quality standards.
As part of the project, the construction of new manufacturing premises and the refurbishment of existing ones are planned. Additional warehousing space will also be organised, and the technical re-equipment of IAP will continue. The aircraft plant is actively collaborating with the municipal council and the regional government to address issues related to transport services, the development of social infrastructure, and the strengthening of the engineering workforce.
At the current stage of modernisation, IAP is relocating Workshop 232 and Department 320 to a new building. The total area of the three-storey building for these units is 12,811 m². Of this, the production area is 8,173 m², and the area of auxiliary and office spaces is 4,638 m². The new building is equipped with cutting-edge equipment, climate-control systems, and fire-protection systems.
“The task of building the facility arose within the framework of the technical re-equipment project for the airframe assembly production facility for civil aviation equipment (AAPF CAE). According to the plan, the vacation and refurbishment of bays 2 and 5 of the engineering building for the construction of the MC-21 are stipulated. Workshops 204 and 243, located in these bays, must relocate to bays 12 and 13 after Workshop 232 and Department 320 vacate these areas, for which their own building has been constructed,” according to the Irkutsk Aircraft Builder factory newspaper issue of 20 March 2025.
The building was designed in 2019, and construction began in 2022. In December 2024, the facility received permission for commissioning, and relocation commenced in January 2025. The cutting section of Workshop 232 was the first to move to the new building. The process is taking place without stopping production, despite the technical challenges that are arising. The main relocation of Department 320 is scheduled for May 2025. Equipment will begin to be moved to the new building at the end of spring. Both units should complete the move by the end of June.
For the convenience of employees, a shuttle bus has been launched, which operates between the factory and the new building, which is designed for 200 people. The building includes not only production areas but also comfortable office spaces, a meeting room, shower facilities, and a canteen. The upper floors are protected from noise by a special partition, which creates comfortable working conditions.
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