Yakovlev MC-21

The Yakovlev MC-21, called the Irkut MC-21 until June 2026, is a single-aisle narrow-body airliner developed in Russia by the Yakovlev Corporation, the company formerly known as Irkut Corporation, which belongs to the United Aircraft Corporation. Its name stands for the Russian phrase meaning mainline aircraft of the 21st century. The programme was launched in 2007 and the first aircraft flew from Irkutsk on 28 May 2017. The MC-21-300 received Russian type certification in December 2021 with Pratt and Whitney PW1000G engines, but European certification was denied in March 2022 and, after sanctions, the MC-21-310 with Russian Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines became the only production model. More than 80 per cent of its parts are now made in Russia, and the first commercial delivery has slipped to 2027. It is meant to replace aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-154 and the Yak-42 and to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.