Market Entry Of Russia's MC-21 Aircraft Hampered By US Sanctions - Senior Official

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) The Russian Irkut MC-21 aircraft's entry into the market has been� undermined by US sanctions as a result of which up to 40 percent of the equipment on-board the plane would have to be replaced, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said on Wednesday.

"You know that one of the reasons for, let us say, the slowdown in the launch of the MC-21 aircraft in the market is the [US-]imposed sanctions. We have already skirted them in a number of areas ... But we still have a lot of hard work to do to replace up to 40 percent of the present on-board equipment as it's foreign-made," Borisov said while addressing a via video link the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum.

The Irkut MC-21 aircraft is short- and medium-range airliner of the new generation, capable of seating 150-211 passengers. The presentation of the aircraft took place in June 2016 in the Russian city of Irkutsk. The plane's maiden flight took place on May 28, 2017.

Russia's flag-carrier Aeroflot is expected to be the first company to exploit the aircraft.