Russia has presented the country’s new MS-21 passenger plane — dubbed “the airliner of the 21st century” — in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday.
Oleg Demchenko, president of the Irkut aircraft company, said that the plane had been designed for potential buyers at home and abroad. “A few years ago we decided to make a plane that will be respected in the global aviation market. We are sure that the MS-21 will be the best in its class,” Demchenko said, RIA Novosti reported.
The Irkut aircraft company has already received orders for 175 MS-21 planes, with the first deliveries scheduled for the end of 2018. Russian flagship air carrier Aeroflot is to purchase 50 aircraft, the TASS news agency reported.
Russia has been increasingly focused on increasing its share in the global aviation market in recent years, following plummeting aircraft production levels after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The country's most recent success has been the sale of 15 Sukhoi Superjets to Irish regional airline CityJet.
The Irkut and Sukhoi aircraft companies are both subsidiaries of the United Aircraft Company, in which the Russian government holds a majority stake.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Prime Ministers Arkady Dvorkovich and Dmitry Rogozin, and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov were also present at the ceremony.
Irkut's MS-21 will be produced in two models: the MS-21-200, capable of carrying up to 165 passengers and the MS-21-300, with a capacity of up to 211 people. The share of foreign components used in the planes' production stands at between 30 and 40 percent, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
Test flights are scheduled to begin at the end of 2016.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
