Aircraft
MC-21 Ready, But Won't Appear at Le Bourget
Many questions remain over whether the MC-21 can ever compete on the world stage with less Western involvement than originally planned.
The absence of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation MC-21 at the Paris Air Show is attributed to political issues. Old policies of cooperation with Western suppliers have evaporated.
The absence of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation MC-21 at the Paris Air Show is attributed to political issues. Old policies of cooperation with Western suppliers have evaporated.

By not bringing its latest product to Le Bourget, Russia’s Irkut has indeed missed a golden opportunity, but with a purpose. The MC-21 next-generation narrowbody jet will instead make its show debut two months later at MAKS in Moscow. Technically, everything appears ready. Two heavily instrumented operable prototypes (first flown in 2017 and 2018) sat at the Ramenskoye Airport near Moscow while the third, outfitted with a passenger cabin, landed there on May 14 after receiving a paint job.