ST. PETERSBURG, June 18. /TASS/. Russian airlines are ready to make contracts for acquisition of two hundred MC-21 passenger jets, Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt said in an interview with the Izvestiya news outlet on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The delivery of new domestic aircraft is in our plans. It is important to note that our airlines are ready even at present to make advance payments for the purchase and acquisition of two hundred our MC-21 domestic aircraft. Our airlines are ready to enter into contracts," the minister said.

Despite Western sanctions against the Russian airline industry, domestic air carriers successfully cope with all the difficulties and find ways to timely replace spares and maintain airworthiness of airplanes, he added.