Russian aviation officials are weighing export sales of the MC-21 to friendly countries while keeping domestic airline demand as the first priority. Rosaviatsia head Dmitry Yadrov outlined the plan at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, saying talks with potential foreign customers are already under way and that certification of the aircraft should be completed by mid-2027.
The comments suggest UAC is still at an early commercial stage, with no export deal or destination market disclosed. The MC-21 remains central to Russia’s effort to replace foreign narrowbody jets with a domestically developed medium-haul aircraft, but delivery plans remain tied to progress on certification and the absorption of initial orders by Russian carriers, including Aeroflot. That sequencing leaves foreign sales as a later step rather than an immediate source of demand.