Aeroflot and several Rostec entities signed a firm contract on September 18 for 90 additional MC-21-310 aircraft. The agreement takes the Russian airline group’s total commitment to 108 aircraft and, according to Rostec, is the largest contract in the history of Russian civil aviation.
What the contract includes
The deal involves Aeroflot, United Aircraft Corporation, Aviacapital-Service and United Engine Corporation. Deliveries of the 90 narrowbodies are planned from 2029 to 2032: 14 aircraft in 2029, 18 in 2030, 24 in 2031 and 34 in 2032.
They come on top of 18 MC-21 aircraft already contracted in 2023. The agreement also covers simulators, crew and technical training, and a 22-year after-sales support package.
The MC-21-310 is powered by Russian PD-14 engines. The programme is still progressing through certification in its heavily redesigned Russian configuration, so delivery schedules remain dependent on certification and industrial ramp-up.
Why it matters
A 90-aircraft firm order gives UAC significant production visibility and positions Aeroflot as one of the central future operators of the MC-21.
The order is also an industrial test. UAC would need to deliver 34 aircraft to Aeroflot in 2032 alone while supplying other customers. The programme has become a cornerstone of Russia’s effort to reduce dependence on Western aircraft and suppliers since sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
Internationally, the MC-21 remains an unusual programme: strategically important in Russia but heavily constrained in Western markets.
What to watch
The key milestones are completion of certification for the Russian configuration, the first deliveries from the earlier 18-aircraft order and the production ramp-up at Irkutsk.
Sources
Rostec, September 18, 2026; Russian Ministry of Transport; Interfax; FlightGlobal; Air Data News.
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