Irkut MC-21 completes third round of EASA certification flights

By November 1, 2019 January 16th, 2020 General News

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced that its test pilots have completed the third flight stage of the MC-21-300 certification programme.

As an initial step, EASA experts worked with their Russian counterparts on the flight simulator. The EASA crew and Yakovlev engineering firm then performed a series of test flights on the aircraft.

Russian officials see EASA certification as a gateway for the airliner to enter the international market. “Obtaining a European certification will open up the international market for the MC-21-300,” Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, is reported to have stated as flight testing began in February 2019.

A total of 175 MC-21-300s have been ordered. A third of these have been placed by the Russian state-owned carrier Aeroflot. Other customers include Siberian, Yakutia Airlines and Bek Air. The aircraft manufacturer has also received LOI for an additional 160 aircraft.