Aeroflot signs contract for 90 MC-21 aircraft

Aeroflot and Rostec subsidiaries have signed a contract for the supply and after-sales servicing of 90 MC-21 aircraft. The signing ceremony was held at Sheremetyevo Airport and attended virtually by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Under the deal, Aeroflot will receive the aircraft between 2029 and 2032, with 14 deliveries scheduled for 2029, 18 in 2030, 24 in 2031 and 34 in 2032. The contract also covers flight simulators, crew training and post-sale maintenance services for 22 years, the companies said in a joint statement.

On behalf of Rostec, the contract was signed by United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), leasing company Aviacapital-Service and United Engine Corporation (UEC). Each aircraft takes between 18 months and two years to manufacture, Interfax reported.

Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said the Aeroflot contract provides a clear production workload for the coming years and supports the planned ramp-up of serial production. UAC CEO Vadim Badekha also announced plans for a strategic partnership with Aeroflot focused on the smooth entry into service of the new aircraft.

UAC will handle maintenance of the MC-21 aircraft delivered to Aeroflot, the airline's CEO Sergei Alexandrovsky had previously said.

Aeroflot and Rostec entities signed their initial contract for 18 MC-21 aircraft in 2023. According to Alexandrovsky, the first eight aircraft are expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2027, with the remaining 10 scheduled for 2028.

During the initial phase of operations, Aeroflot plans to deploy the aircraft on short-haul routes, including Moscow–St. Petersburg and Moscow–Nizhny Novgorod. These routes offer the ability to quickly arrange backup capacity while benefiting from established technical support.

The MC-21 is a medium-haul passenger aircraft with a capacity of up to 211 passengers. The aircraft was initially developed with international partners, but foreign companies withdrew from the project after sanctions were imposed on Russia, prompting an accelerated programme to replace foreign-made systems and components.

Chemezov previously said certification flights and the start of serial production of the import-substituted MC-21 are scheduled for 2027. The programme's timeline has been postponed several times in the past.