newstodate.aero

Sep 09, 022 (newstodate): Facing the effects from western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is keen - and forced - to steer away from western built aircraft to focus instead on own commercial aircraft production.
   Recently, the Aeroflot Group proudly announced a decision to acquire no less than 339 Russian-built aircraft, including 210 Irkut MC-21, 89 Sukhoi Superjet and 40 Tupolev Tu-214 aircraft, with deliveries starting already next year and running till 2030.
   It may well be an uphill struggle, requiring aircraft manufacturers to speed up production capacity and design systems and components without sanctioned western parts and elements.
   Already now it has become clear that fulfilling the order for the 210 Irkut MC-21 aircraft will be slow in coming; at this week's Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok Russia's Deputy prime minister admitted that deliveries of the Irkut MC-21 have again been delayed, now to 2025.
   The planned entry into services of the aircraft was initially slated for 2016; the virgin flight was performed in 2017, but the first delivery was then re-scheduled for 2020.
   However, delays in the certification process caused the delivery to be again adjusted to 2021 - while later again reset to September 2022.  
   In 2022, sanctions were imposed on Russia due to the country's "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine - and the aircraft lost the possibility of flying with western engine components, now to be delivered only with Russia's own PD-14 engine.
   This latest development adds further strains on the program that is now running at least eight years behind initial planning....
   The order for 40 TU-214 aircraft will also take some time to complete; production has long been halted, and after resuming production in 2023 the manufacturer expects to be able to complete about 10 units per year...