KRASNOARMEISK (Moscow Region), May 25. /TASS/. A package of pre-paid orders for Russia’s new medium-haul airliner MC-21 equals 185, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday.

"A total of 185 firm orders before the first flight," the vice-premier said.

Russia’s Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in early May that the flight tests of the MC-21 airliner would begin in several weeks.

As of now, the book of orders for the MC-21 equals 285 airliners, including 185 planes, for which firm contracts have been concluded (with advance payments).

The Russian flagship airline has been the first customer of this plane. The airline is expected to have 50 MC-21 planes in its fleet. The delivery will be financed by the lease company Aviakapital-servis. A firm contract for the deliveries of these airliners was signed in 2011. In April this year, Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev said that the deliveries of the first three airliners were expected in 2019.

The MC-21 is the family of short-and medium-haul narrow-body airliners intended to replace Tupolev Tu-134 and Tu-154 planes and also their Western rivals.