Russia's Fully Domestic MC-21 Takes Flight, Marking New Era for Civil Aviation

Russia's aviation industry has reached a major milestone with the first serial test flight of the fully import-substituted MC-21 passenger aircraft. Equipped exclusively with Russian-made systems and components, the jet represents a significant step in Moscow's long-term strategy to build a self-sufficient civil aviation sector and gradually reduce reliance on Western aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. First Serial Test Flight Confirms Aircraft Performance The MC-21-310 took off from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, becoming the first production-standard aircraft in the program to fly with an entirely domestic configuration. The flight lasted one hour and 23 minutes, during which the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 6,000 meters and reached a cruising speed of 600 km/h. According to state-owned defense and technology corporation Rostec, the aircraft completed its planned flight profile successfully, with engineers confirming stable handling characteristics and the normal operation of all onboard systems.