THE IRKUT MC-21 narrowbody airliner received its basic type certificate from Rosaviatsia, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, covering the MC-21-300 powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G geared turbofan engines. Developed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (part of the United Aircraft Corporation controlled by Rostec), the MC-21-300 first flew in May 2017. Irkut CEO Andrey Boginsky said the company will undertake further high-altitude, crosswind, low- and high-temperature testing on the MC-21-300 to enable launch operator Rossiya Airlines to use the aircraft "in any geographic zones." The TASS news agency quoted Russian industry and trade minister Denis Manturov as saying initial MC-21- 300 deliveries to Rossiya were scheduled for "the end of the second, the beginning of the third quarter" of 2022. Rossiya, part of Aeroflot, ordered 50 examples of the MC-21, which with 163 to 211 seats is Russia's attempt to rival the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 in the single-aisle/narrowbody airliner category.
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