Putin Inspects New Russian Aircraft Models in Zhukovsky

ZHUKOVSKY /Moscow Region/, June 24. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Zhukovsky, where he inspected new Russian aviation equipment, including the Il-114-300, SJ-100, and MS-21 aircraft.

Later, he will hold a meeting on aviation development.

The Il-114-300 is an upgraded version of the Il-114 turboprop aircraft with a passenger capacity of 50-68 people. It is designed to replace the outdated An-24 and An-26 aircraft. The delivery of three aircraft is expected in 2026 and about the same number in 2027. The production capacity will be increased in the future, according to Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin.

The SJ-100 is a short-haul narrow-body aircraft. Russia mass produced the Superjets, created in international cooperation until 2022, but halted the project after the West imposed sanctions. The delivery of the import-substituted version of the airliner is expected in 2027.

The MC-21-310 is the basic version of the MC-21 family of medium-range aircraft, which is being developed by Yakovlev (part of Rostec's UAC PJSC). According to the developer's website, the aircraft can travel up to 3,830 km in a two-class configuration for up to 175 people. Its mass production is scheduled for 2027, although the deadline was postponed several times. Initially, the aircraft was developed with international cooperation, but foreign partners quit the project after the West imposed its sanctions, necessitating an accelerated import substitution of systems and components.