40 AIRLINER WORLD APRIL 2018
certification expected in 2020. We are
also scheduling the first flight of the
second variant, the MC-21-200, for
next year.”
At last year’s Paris Air Show,
Demchenko talked positively about a
further stretch of the airframe, with
the -400 eventually being offered to
the market. At the Dubai Air Show in
November 2017, Rostec Corporation
CEO Sergey Chemezov announced that
after talks with a government
delegation of the United Arab Emirates it
was agreed to explore options to jointly
manufacturer a MC-21-400-based air-
craft in the Gulf State. This would be
an interesting twist to the programme,
while Rostec is also exploring options
to enable Saudi Arabian companies to
become suppliers to both the MC-21 and
Sukhoi’s SSJ-100 Superjet projects.
Entry into service
For a long time, it looked as though
Aeroflot would be the MC-21s launch
customer, but late last December Irkut
informed journalists of a change in the
plan, with Irkutsk-based IrAero taking
delivery of the maiden jet instead.
On February 1, Aeroflot confirmed its
2010 and 2012 commitments for 50, to
be leased for 12-18 years through Rostec
Corporation-subsidiary Avia Capital
Services. The lessor signed contracts
for 35 -300s and 15 -200s at MAKS 2011
and converted 35 options to firm orders
in June 2012.
With UAC forecasting worldwide
demand for 28,000 narrowbody aircraft
with more than 120 seats over the next
20 years, Irkut hopes to win more than
1,000 orders, which makes an inter-
national type certificate essential. To
achieve this the company has been
working closely with EASA since 2016,
progressing towards a dedicated work-
ing arrangement for the type. However,
EASA can’t predict when Irkut will gain
approval, only saying it is usually three
to five years after the date of application.
Expectations for the MC-21 are
running high and, together with the
SSJ100, Il-114 and the Russian/Chinese
CR929-widebody, it is one of the pillars
of the recently restructured UAC civil
aviation division. Non-Russian airlines
are expected to wait and see how the
MC-21 performs, but the design and
technology appear sound enough to
guarantee the narrowbody its place in
the market. It is worth remembering
that Airbus started the A320 programme
in the early 1980s on a market forecast
of just 500 and they have sold 14,120
to date.The MC-21 prototype
touches down at the
Zhukovsky Flight Test
Centre on October 17
at the end of the type’s
longest flight to date.The cockpit crew
disembark from the
MC-21 prototype after
the 2,602-mile and 6hrs
12mins journey from
Irkutsk to Zhukovsky
where the jet will
undertake most of its
development work.The MC-21 prototype
is powered by Pratt &
Whitney PW1400G, a
derivative of the PW1100
family used on the
Bombardier C Series,
Embraer E-Jets E2 fam-
ily, the Mitsubishi MRJ
and the Airbus A320neo.
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
ARTYOM ANIKEEV