MOSCOW. June 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Not only civil companies, but also law enforcement agencies will order the advanced regional jet MS-21, being developed by Irkut Corporation [part of United Aircraft Corporation].
"Preliminary information suggests that the defense, interior and emergency situations ministries, and other law enforcement agencies could order about 80 MS-21 aircraft through 2025." Valery Lunkov, regional director of Irkut's civil aircraft marketing and sales service, told the Civil Aviation Leaders Strategy Forum in Moscow.
He also said that deliveries of MS-21-300 aircraft for commercial organizations are to begin from 2017. "About 960 planes are expected to be manufactured by 2032, including around 300 to be operated in Russia," Lunkov said.
The corporation is to attain its maximum annual capacity of 72 planes in the fifth year from the start of production, he said.
"Orders for 276 MS-21 planes have been made already, including 175 firm purchase orders. Our delivery and order horizon reaches out to 2023," Lunkov said.
"The state order to develop MS-21 aircraft is based on a funding exceeding $2.8 billion through 2019. Investment lending is being provided by the main project bank - Sberbank (MOEX: SBER) -and exceeds $1 billion. Irkut and the other parties in the project will make about $1.7 billion available.
"Concerning the price of the MS-21 plane, it will be market-based, but 10%-15% below the price of its rivals, Airbus and Boeing," Lunkov said.