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The first MC-21-210 airliner, composed entirely of Russian-produced components, took its maiden flight on April 23, 2025. The aircraft, bearing tail number 73055, departed from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant’s airfield. This development comes amid ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine that have led to embargoes on imports from major Western manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing.
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has accelerated its efforts to produce domestic aircraft in response to these sanctions. The Russian commercial aviation sector previously relied heavily on foreign supply chains due to the significant market share held by Airbus and Boeing.
A cosmonaut named Oleg Kononeko, who holds a record for time spent in space, was part of the crew during this historic flight for Russian aerospace. The four-hour test flight included evaluations of various onboard systems such as radios and communication equipment.
