Manufacturer · Russia · Founded 2000s
Sukhoi Superjet & MC-21: Russia’s New Airliners
After the Soviet Union ended, Russia’s airlines stopped buying Russian airliners. Aeroflot and its rivals filled their fleets with Boeings and Airbuses, and the great names of Soviet aviation, Tupolev and Ilyushin, went quiet. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 was meant to change that: a brand-new, Western-standard airliner, built in Russia but designed to sell to airlines anywhere in the world.
A fighter maker builds an airliner
Sukhoi was famous for fighter jets, not passenger planes. For the Superjet it brought in Western partners: the engines came from a French-Russian joint venture, and many of the systems came from American and European suppliers, with an Italian partner helping to sell it abroad. The result was a modern regional jet of about 100 seats, in the same class as the Embraer E-Jets.
It first flew on 19 May 2008, and its first commercial flight was with Armenia’s Armavia on 21 April 2011. Aeroflot became its biggest customer, and in the West, Mexico’s Interjet and Ireland’s CityJet both flew it. By early 2026 around 236 had been built. But Western airlines found it hard to support: spare parts were slow to arrive, and aircraft spent too long on the ground. Interjet and CityJet both gave theirs up.
The arc
The Superjet and MC-21 story
- 2008The bet
Superjet first flight
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 flies on 19 May.
- 2011Proof
Into service
First commercial flight with Armenia’s Armavia on 21 April.
- 2017The bet
MC-21 first flight
The larger MC-21-300 flies on 28 May.
- 2022Break
Redesign begins
Western parts become unavailable; both jets are re-engineered with Russian systems.
- 2025Reset
Indian deal
HAL signs an agreement in October to build the SJ-100 in India.
- 2026Reset
Production MC-21
The first production MC-21-310 flies on 3 August.
The MC-21: aiming at Airbus and Boeing
The bigger ambition was the MC-21, a single-aisle jet of around 160 to 210 seats, aimed squarely at the A320 and 737. Its standout feature is a wing made of carbon-fibre composite, unusual for an aircraft this size (see our explainer on aluminium versus carbon fibre). It first flew on 28 May 2017.
Starting again
Both aircraft depended on Western engines and equipment. After 2022 those parts became unavailable to Russian manufacturers, and both jets had to be redesigned around Russian-made engines and systems: the PD-8 engine for the SJ-100 and the PD-14 for the MC-21. Replacing hundreds of components on an aircraft that has already been designed is slow and difficult, and certification dates have slipped repeatedly. The first production-standard MC-21-310 flew on 3 August 2026.
The aircraft have also changed names. After a reorganisation of Russia’s state aircraft group, the Superjet is now marketed as the Yakovlev SJ-100, and the MC-21 is a Yakovlev product too.
The real numbers
In figures
~236
Superjets built
As of early 2026
2011
First passenger flight
With Armavia, 21 April
~160–210
MC-21 seats
Depending on version and layout
Oct 2025
HAL agreement
To build the SJ-100 in India
An Indian chapter?
In October 2025, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation to build the SJ-100 in India for Indian customers, aimed at the short regional routes of India’s UDAN connectivity scheme. If it goes ahead, it would be the first complete passenger aircraft built in India in decades. For the encyclopedia view of the aircraft itself, see the Superjet 100 profile.
Iconic aircraft
2008
Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) →
A ~100-seat regional jet; about 236 built by early 2026.
2017
MC-21
A single-aisle jet in the class of the A320 and 737, with a composite wing.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Superjet still called a Sukhoi?
The aircraft is widely still known as the Sukhoi Superjet, but after a reorganisation of Russia’s aircraft industry it is now marketed as the Yakovlev SJ-100, and the MC-21 is likewise a Yakovlev product. All are part of Russia’s state-owned United Aircraft Corporation.
Why were the Superjet and MC-21 redesigned?
Both originally relied heavily on Western parts, including the Superjet’s French-Russian SaM146 engines and many American and European systems. After 2022 those parts became unavailable, so both aircraft have been re-engineered to use Russian-made engines and equipment, which has delayed certification.
Did Western airlines fly the Superjet?
Yes, a few. Mexico’s Interjet and Ireland’s CityJet both operated Superjets in the 2010s, but neither kept them long, partly because of spare-parts and support problems.
Will the SJ-100 be built in India?
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and United Aircraft Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2025 for HAL to build the SJ-100 for Indian customers. It is an agreement to cooperate, so when and whether production starts remains to be seen.
How many MC-21s have been built?
Only a handful, mostly test aircraft. The first production-standard MC-21-310 first flew on 3 August 2026.