On December 25, 2025, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov confirmed in an interview with Vedomosti newspaper an important development in the country’s medium-range airliner program: the baseline version of the MS-21 (also known as MC-21) in its current configuration does not meet the previously announced range targets. Manturov confirmed that efforts to decrease the aircraft’s weight and extend its range are currently underway, but this process will require a considerable amount of time—likely several years—and will align with other program milestones, including the deployment of a shortened version of the aircraft.
This frank acknowledgment by a senior Russian government official signifies a critical turning point in the development of a project originally conceived as Russia’s counterpart to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. The MC-21 was intended to modernize Russia’s civil aviation industry through the introduction of a domestically manufactured, competitive narrow-body commercial aircraft. Instead, the program is confronting a complex array of technological challenges, geopolitical limitations, and performance trade-offs that have altered its objectives and schedule.
Background: A Project Initiated by Ambition and Sanctions
The MC-21 project was envisioned as a next-generation medium-range passenger aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau under the auspices of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), with support from Rostec and the Russian government. Before the implementation of Western sanctions in response to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the aircraft’s development was significantly dependent on foreign components—including engines, avionics, and composite materials—thereby integrating it into global aerospace supply chains.
Nevertheless, sanctions compelled an expedited transition to complete import substitution. Russia initiated an expedited initiative to substitute Western-produced components and materials with domestically sourced alternatives, a measure that was both strategically essential for the program’s sustainability and significantly disruptive. This modification significantly altered the engineering environment of the MC-21, elevating the complexity of development and, importantly, the weight of the aircraft’s structure and systems.
Certification Examination and Present Status in Zhukovsky
Flight certification tests of the domestically produced variant of the MC-21 are currently in progress at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky. Test flights are currently underway on prototypes bearing tail numbers 73055 and 73057 to assess aerodynamics, stability, controllability, and overall flight performance. These tests are essential for achieving final certification, while also functioning as the testing ground for the local systems that have supplanted previously imported components.
Despite progress in developing flying prototypes equipped with entirely Russian systems—including Russian composite wings and PD-14 engines—the aircraft has yet to achieve its initial design performance, especially regarding range. Manturov’s remarks effectively affirm the current status of the MC-21 import substitution initiative: its operational metrics do not meet the originally announced objectives, and no efforts have been undertaken to lower those target figures.
Range Shortfall: Causes and Implications
In the Vedomosti interview, Manturov acknowledged that the existing configuration of the basic MC-21 does not meet the initially specified range, a matter already under consideration with prospective airline operators. The program’s initial specifications intended a performance range comparable to Western narrow-body aircraft; however, this goal has proven difficult to achieve.
Independent reporting emphasizes the magnitude of this deficit. According to certain industry evaluations, the range of the MC-21 has been diminished from an originally stated 5,100 km to approximately 3,800 km in its domestically produced variant. This signifies a substantial reduction from initial expectations and underscores the complex tradeoffs involved with the integration of heavier domestically manufactured materials and systems.
The increased empty weight of the aircraft—primarily due to the use of heavier Russian composite materials and domestically developed systems—directly affects range, fuel efficiency, payload capacity, and operational costs. Engineers have recognized this increase in weight, and a primary objective now is to decrease the structural bulk and optimize systems to recover a portion of the lost performance.
Domestic System Integration and Technological Challenges
A key component of Russia’s import substitution strategy for the MC-21 platform involved substituting previously relied-upon foreign systems with domestically produced alternatives. As Industry Minister Denis Manturov highlighted, this encompassed five essential components that Russia had not previously developed, each crucial to the project’s success: the wing high-lift system, digitally controlled power supply system, external threat warning system, wheel brake control system, and air conditioning system.
These components were previously bought from international suppliers, usually manufactured by a single entity globally within each category. Bringing their design and manufacturing processes in-house was an enormous undertaking, particularly given the tight deadlines and restrictions imposed by sanctions.
The transition to domestic systems—including composite materials for essential load-bearing structures—has yielded major consequences. Russian composite wings necessitated reinforcement to maintain safety margins, resulting in an increase in weight. Furthermore, these domestically produced materials initially displayed properties that diverged from their Western equivalents, necessitating redesigns to ensure structural integrity.
A Market Response and Strategic Adjustment
Manturov emphasized that although the current range is shorter than initially projected, the MC-21 continues to be operationally significant for Russia’s domestic market, where average flight distances are approximately 3,000 kilometers. From this angle, the aircraft, despite its limited range, is capable of fulfilling the essential requirements of numerous domestic routes. Intercontinental or long-distance capabilities, however, remain beyond its current scope without further improvements.
Nevertheless, he expects that airlines operating flights to the Russian Far East—currently served by foreign aircraft—may face operational limitations until the MC-21 achieves higher performance benchmarks. Maintaining a foreign aircraft fleet remains viable in the short term; however, it is not regarded as a sustainable long-term strategy, considering Russia’s pursuit of complete technological independence and the political objective of achieving domestic aircraft self-sufficiency.
The Roadmap to 2029: Strategies for Weight Reduction and Variant Development
Tackling the issues related to weight and range necessitates a sustained commitment to engineering development and rigorous testing. Manturov affirmed that there are plans to decrease the weight of the baseline version and to restore its initially intended range. However, this process—including comprehensive research and development phases—is not anticipated to be finalized until approximately 2029.
Simultaneously, the program encompasses the development of a streamlined variant of the aircraft—the MC-21-210—which is anticipated to enter service with a baseline range exceeding 5,000 km. Manturov emphasized that the reduction in weight of the basic MC-21 and the development of the shortened variant will be achieved within comparable timeframes, highlighting the close interrelation of these engineering objectives.
When inquired about the definitive number of variants—whether a single version or multiple versions within a similar range—Manturov deferred to market dynamics, asserting that the commercial aviation sector will establish the demand for each configuration. What is evident, however, is that these future MC-21 variants necessitate substantial further research and development, along with comprehensive testing procedures, which inherently demand years rather than months to finalize.
Industry Perspectives: Strategic Development Priorities Beyond Immediate Commercial Metrics
Editors of the Aviation of Russia website emphasize an emerging shift in the approach to the MC-21 project: the focus is transitioning from solely achieving initial range and weight objectives to ensuring airworthiness, reliability, and manufacturing consistency. These characteristics are evolving into phased development parameters—basic yet long-term objectives rather than immediate operational necessities.
This strategic shift signifies a comprehensive recalibration of priorities: guaranteeing that the MC-21 platform is structurally robust and capable of delivering safe, reliable service, even if certain performance indicators do not initially meet Western competitive standards. Only upon attaining certified airworthiness will government authorities revise civil aviation development plans and synchronize them with delivery schedules and fleet renewal targets.
Conclusion: A More Challenging Path Forward
The MC-21 program exemplifies a significant endeavor by Russia to develop a wholly domestically supplied commercial aircraft amidst geopolitical isolation and substantial technological hurdles. Although initial ambitions—particularly regarding range and performance—have been constrained by weight increases, material limitations, and certification challenges, the project continues to progress. Manturov’s remarks affirm that the current configuration does not meet the initial range objectives and that the aircraft will only completely achieve its potential through ongoing weight reduction and variant development by 2029.
Despite these obstacles, the MC-21 continues to have strategic significance for Russia’s domestic aviation industry. Shorter flights, characteristic of most domestic routes, can be efficiently accommodated with the existing MC-21 configuration. Long-term success, however, hinges on Russia’s capacity to further enhance its technologies, decrease weight, and attain system reliability that satisfies both certification requirements and airline standards. Until that time, the development of the MC-21 exemplifies both the aspirations and the challenges inherent in constructing a contemporary commercial aircraft within a context characterized by geopolitical restrictions and technological advancement.