Russia has signed a landmark agreement that goes far beyond the delivery of new aircraft, creating a long-term industrial and service framework around Aeroflot’s future MC-21 fleet. The contract includes a further 90 MC-21 aircraft, with the entire technical support for 108 MC-21 aircraft to be operated by Aeroflot in accordance with the current and new contracts.
Aeroflot inked the deal with three Rostec firms, the United Aircraft Corporation, the leasing company Aviacapital-Service, and the United Engine Corporation, in Moscow. The signing event was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, and Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin.
The agreement is one of the largest pledges made yet to the MC-21 program. It is significant not just because of the number of aircraft bought but because the supply of aircraft, leasing, training, maintenance, and technical support have been combined into a long-term contract.
90 More MC-21s for Aeroflot
Under the newly inked contract, Aeroflot will get 90 MC-21 aircraft from 2029 to 2032. The proposed delivery timetable sees 14 aircraft in 2029, 18 in 2030, 24 in 2031, and 34 in 2032.
The planes are in addition to the original 18 MC-21s ordered by Aeroflot through Aviacapital-Service. Those aircraft are expected to start arriving from 2027, including eight in the fourth quarter of 2027 and a further 10 in 2028.
The two agreements together provide Aeroflot an order for 108 MC-21 aircraft.
The order size makes Aeroflot the main launch customer for the Russian-built aircraft and gives the MC-21 program an important guaranteed production base as it progresses toward larger-scale serial manufacturing.
22 Years of Technical Support
One of the most important elements of the agreement is the duration of the after-sales commitment.
The deal provides for full technical support for all 108 MC-21 aircraft for 22 years from the date of delivery. Instead of just providing the aircraft and allowing the airline to develop its own long-term support infrastructure, the Russian industrial conglomerate is committing itself to sustain the fleet for most of its operational life.
The package also contains technical maintenance and repair support, software required for aircraft servicing, and other after-sales services.
For a relatively new aircraft programme, such an arrangement can be particularly important. Aeroflot is going to introduce a substantial fleet of MC-21s while the type is building its operational record. The direct involvement of the manufacturer and its industrial partners in the long-term support is designed to provide a dedicated technological ecosystem around the aircraft.
Training Is Part of the Deal
The arrangement also includes pilot and technical training.
For training flight crews, Aeroflot will obtain full-flight and procedural simulators. Technical professionals will also be given specialized training to maintain and service the aircraft.
Aircraft maintenance software is also offered. The whole contract covers the cost of the aircraft, the flight simulators, the training of the flight crews, and the services included in the long-term after-sales program.
It is intended to facilitate the entry into operation of the MC-21 with Aeroflot. Instead of creating a completely new training and maintenance infrastructure, the airline will get a large part of the essential ecosystem as part of the aircraft program itself.
The setup also emphasizes the need for training as Aeroflot moves to a fleet with a high number of a new Russian aircraft type.
Leasing Corporation Plays a Key Role
Aviacapital-Service is an important participant in the structure of the agreement. The 90 new planes will be delivered through a lease agreement, with United Aircraft Corporation building the aircraft and Aviacapital-Service arranging the lease.
This arrangement decouples aircraft production from financing but maintains both functions within the broader Russian industrial environment.
Aircraft leasing plays an important role in commercial aviation, as airlines often purchase large fleets through leasing rather than directly acquiring each aircraft from manufacturers.
The availability of a domestic leasing system is particularly important for the MC-21. It offers the program with a framework for significant Russian airlines to grow their fleets without relying on foreign aircraft lessors.
A Long-Term Industrial Commitment
The Aeroflot deal comes as the MC-21, which is totally import-substituted, continues its certification program.
The Russian version of the aircraft has undergone major modifications compared to the first design since the Western suppliers left the cooperation when the sanctions were imposed. Russian industry then created and installed native substitutes for many systems and components.
One of the main changes is with the propulsion system of the airplane. The MC-21-310 is to be powered by the Russian PD-14 turbofan, providing the plane with a homegrown engine.
The program has therefore moved from an aircraft that represented a combination of international technologies to a largely Russian industrial product.
The new configuration has a large domestic client base in the form of an Aeroflot contract.
MC-21 Aims for Narrow-Body Market
The MC-21 is a medium-range narrow-body aircraft being developed by Yakovlev, one of the companies of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) inside Rostec.
Depending on configuration, the aircraft is designed to transport from 163 to 211 people. It sits with other modern single-aisle aircraft in the same general category, utilized widely on domestic and international medium-haul routes.
The aircraft is planned to play a key role in Aeroflot’s future fleet plans as Russia strives to cut its dependence on foreign-built airliners.
The first planes are to enter service ahead of the bigger deliveries. This gives Aeroflot a chance to gain operational experience on the MC-21 before the fleet expands significantly in the 2029-2032 period.
From Aircraft Order to Full Aviation Ecosystem
In the end, the Aeroflot deal is more significant than the headline figure of 108 planes.
It incorporates aircraft manufacture, leasing, engines, simulators, pilot training, technical manpower, maintenance software, repairs, and long-term after-sales support into a single strategic framework.
Now the task for UAC and its industrial partners is to win a significant customer and run the program. Certification, serial manufacturing, delivery timelines, supply-chain reliability, and long-term aircraft serviceability will decide how smoothly the MC-21 evolves from a development program to a large commercial fleet.
It also signals a bigger shift in the Russian civil aviation strategy: rather than considering the MC-21 as a mere replacement aircraft, the program is being developed as a full-fledged domestic aviation ecosystem from manufacturing and financing to training, maintenance, and decades of operational support.