Russia delays commercial flights of MC-21 due to certification issues
This delay highlights a major challenge for Russia’s aerospace industry as it aims to position itself as a serious competitor to Western aviation giants. The international sanctions forced the country to accelerate the development of domestic technologies, such as the PD-14 engine, which could shape the future of the global aviation market.
The start of commercial flights with the new Russian commercial aircraft MC-21 (or MS-21 in Russian) will be later than expected due to a new delay in the aircraft's certification.
The MC-21, produced by Irkut under the direction of the state-owned aerospace company Rostec, which oversees manufacturers such as Beriev, Ilyushin, Mikoyan Gurevich, Sukhoi, Mil, Khamov, and Tupolev, will need to undergo further flight tests with the "nationalized" version of the plane. This model is designed to compete with Western aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
Originally, the aircraft was equipped with Western Pratt & Whitney PW4000G engines manufactured in the United States. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to sanctions on the country’s entire industry, which prevented the import of any components, according to information published by our partner media outlet Aeroin.
As a result, Irkut redesigned several components of the aircraft, producing them locally or contracting Russian suppliers. For the engines, the Aviadvigatel PD-14 was selected, which is currently being tested on the prototype aircraft.
More time will still be needed to evaluate the aircraft's performance, commented Sergei Chemezov, director of Rostec, in an interview with the Russian portal IRCity. "We need to complete all the certification tests. I hope we finish all the flights this year, although there are still many left. Starting next year, serial production will begin," the executive stated.
The plan is for the country’s main airline, Aeroflot, to be the first operator of the model. It currently has a firm order for 18 units of the MC-21-300, which can carry up to 211 passengers.
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