The first import-substituted MC-21 took to the sky.

      The first serial fully import-substituted aircraft MS-21-310 made its first flight from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant airfield. This was reported by the press service of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on its Telegram channel. Currently, the plant is producing the first 18 serial aircraft of this model. The aircraft with the factory number MS.0014 was piloted by honored test pilots, Heroes of Russia Roman Taskaev, Sergey Mikhailyuk, and Andrey Voropaev. The crew also included test engineer Nikolai Fonurin. "The first serial machine performed well, we completed the flight task fully," Taskaev reported after the flight. The flight lasted one hour and 23 minutes. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of up to 6,000 meters and reached an indicated speed of up to 600 km/h. The crew checked the stability and controllability of the MS-21 in various configurations, as well as the operation of domestic systems. UAC General Director Vadim Badyha stated that the team at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant confirmed their readiness to manufacture the first batch of 18 MS-21 aircraft and to proceed with work on subsequent orders. The government made decisions on these orders last week at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chief Designer of the MS-21 Vitaly Naryshkin called the first flight an important stage in preparing for serial deliveries of the aircraft on schedule. According to him, the enterprise, in parallel with certification tests, worked out key procedures for the final stages of production and passing the aircraft through the flight test station. This should shorten the time between obtaining the certificate and the start of serial deliveries. General Director of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant Andrey Soynov reported that the enterprise built the aircraft using serial technologies and tested the main production and support processes in real conditions. According to him, the plant has consistently improved operations at each section to ensure a smooth flow of aircraft along the assembly line and to achieve the specified production rates. The development of the MS-21 began in 2007 when the Irkut Corporation became the lead executor of the program to create a new passenger aircraft. The first prototype took to the air on May 28, 2017, and at the end of 2021, the aircraft received its type certificate. After that, the developers began replacing foreign systems and components: the fully import-substituted prototype made its first flight in April 2025. Recall that on July 24, Putin inspected the MS-21 at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. He climbed into the cockpit of the aircraft and listened to a report on the preparation of the aircraft for its first flight. The head of state was also shown the upgraded Yak-130M training-combat aircraft for the first time. The aircraft received new onboard systems that allow it to hit ground and air targets, including heavy drones, day and night in any weather conditions.

      The MS-21-310 is a new generation Russian medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Yakovlev. Depending on the configuration, it is designed to carry from 163 to 211 passengers, with a declared flight range of up to 3,830 kilometers. The aircraft is equipped with Russian PD-14 engines and is intended for operation on the most in-demand domestic and international medium-haul routes.