The MC-21 aircraft successfully landed at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant after completing a test flight. This crucial update was officially announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade through its dedicated Telegram channel.
A prototype of the import-substituted MC-21 was specifically utilized for this flight to rigorously evaluate the performance of its newly integrated systems and PD-14 engines. The aircraft remained airborne for approximately one hour, during which it attained an altitude of up to 3,500 meters, demonstrating critical flight capabilities.
Earlier in October, during a pivotal meeting of the Federation Council`s committee on economic policy, Dmitry Yadrov, the head of Rosaviatsiya, issued a stark warning. He stated that under a pessimistic forecast, Russian civil aviation could face the loss of 339 airliners by the year 2030, an amount representing approximately one-third of the nation`s entire civilian fleet.
This projected significant reduction includes 109 foreign-manufactured aircraft that are considered beyond economic repair, alongside 230 Russian-made planes whose ongoing operation is heavily reliant on Western components, posing a substantial challenge to the country`s air transport capabilities.
