The price Russian airlines will pay for the Yakovlev MC-21 aircraft will be calculated through a depreciation mechanism (or a subsidized discount granted by the local government). This was revealed to journalists by Yuri Slyusar, the director of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). According to him, a fundamental decision on the matter has already been made, but the details are still being finalized.
«The [depreciation] mechanism is being formed. There are basic decisions that indicate the mechanism has already been approved. In fact, all decisions have already been made. But the government is in the approval phase,» the official said, as reported by our partner media, Aeroin.
Slyusar added that «the production of the first aircraft, economically speaking, of course, exceeds the airlines’ ability to purchase them at these prices,» but the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation has provided support to UAC, «which allows us to offset the difference between the high price of the first aircraft and the price acceptable to airlines.»
MC-21 Costing Less for Russian Airlines
Rostec’s head, Sergei Chemezov, previously reported that the cost of the MC-21 aircraft for Aeroflot and other Russian airlines would be lower than the market price.
At the same time, a source from the official Russian agency TASS in the government noted that the cost of the new MC-21 aircraft would be around 3 billion rubles (approximately $37 million) for Russian airlines. A similar Boeing aircraft could cost up to double.
About The MC-21 Aircraft
The MC-21 is a medium-range, new-generation aircraft, with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers. Among its innovations, it features a larger wingspan and is manufactured in composite materials, something unusual in the segment.
In addition, the manufacturer guarantees that the Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines (domestically produced) that will power the MC-21 compete in fuel consumption, noise levels, and emissions of harmful substances with Western engines in the same category.
In January, it was announced that the serial production of the MC-21 would begin in 2025.
By August 2022, the Irkut MC-21 had largely become independent of Western supplies, which almost completely disappeared from Russia as a result of the country’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions received.
