Russian MS-21 will be renamed to Yak-242

The upcoming Russian short- and mid-range passenger airliner MS-21 will be renamed to Yak-242. The decision was announced by Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin during his visit to Irkut Corporation, reports Lenta.ru quoting Interfax.

MS-21 is a joint project between the Irkut Corporation and Yakovlev Design Bureau both of which belong to the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation.

The new 150-180 seats airplane is being developed based on the design of never-produced Yak-242. MS-21 will be produced with two engine options – either Pratt & Whitney’s PW1400G or Russian PD-14. The maiden flight is planned to take place in 2015. The overall cost of the program is estimated between 5 to 8 billion USD.

As of today, 160 orders have been placed for MS-21 with additional 35 under options. Depending on aircraft configuration, single MS-21 will cost from 70 to 85 million USD.