MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Russia is in the final stage of testing of the new domestically produced civilian MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft as part of their certification, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said in an interview with TASS.
"In the civil aviation industry, we are currently in the final stage of certification testing of the new MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft, and we are close to completion of testing Il-114-300. This year, our companies should certify all of these aircraft and begin the first deliveries," he said.
Alikhanov also announced that work on adjusting the Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Russian Aviation Industry is continuing. According to him, "as key points of certification testing are completed, aircraft production forecasts are being reviewed."
The MC-21 is a domestically made short-and medium-range passenger aircraft intended to replace the Tu-154 and the Tu-204 family on the Russian market. The second import-substituting prototype of the Russian MC-21 aircraft flew at the end of October, testing new domestic systems and PD-14 engines on board. The aircraft had most of its imported components and systems replaced with domestic ones. Certification of the import-substituting MC-21 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, after which the first two aircraft will enter serial production, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov said earlier.
The SJ-100 is a Russian short-haul narrow-body aircraft, a new version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 with maximum import substitution of components. In October, Chemezov stated that he expected the aircraft's certification to be completed in early 2026. After that, serial production will start. In April 2025, the fully import-substituting SJ-100 with PD-8 engines made its maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.