Russia's Irkut aircraft maker capped the first four days of the Farnborough International Air Show by signing a deal Thursday on the sale of 50 of its new MS-21 passenger airliners.
The contract with Malaysian transportation holding company CRECOM Burj Resources, the largest post-Soviet sale of Russia-made new generation planes abroad, brings to 140 the total number of deliveries agreed during the air show near London, which runs July 19-25.
Russian leasing company Ilyushin Finance signed a memorandum of intent to buy 28 MS-21 planes from Irkut with an option for another 22 aircraft.
Another memorandum of intent on the purchase of 15 MS-21 jets with an option for 15 more planes was signed with Russia's VEB-leasing company.
Several other companies also signed memorandums of intent to buy MS-21 planes from Irkut.
The MS-21 twinjet, which is still under development, is to replace the aging Tu-154, which currently accounts for the lion's share of passenger traffic in Russia and the CIS. It is also expected to compete with the Airbus A-320 and Boeing 737.
The MS-21, expected to perform its maiden flight in 2015, should start rolling off the assembly line in 2016.
Irkut head Oleg Demcheko said the signed agreements show that Russian and foreign companies "believed in the project's future."
Russian company Avionika and U.S. Rockwell Collins will develop avionics to be assembled by Irkut. Another U.S. company, Pratt & Whitney, will supply the high-bypass turbofan engine PW1000G for the MS-21. The engine is also used for the Bombardier C-Series and Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) airliners.
The MS-21 family will comprise three models designed to accommodate 150, 181 and 212 passengers.
FARNBOROUGH, July 22 (RIA Novosti)
