Series production of MC-21 passenger jets will start in 2020, a spokesman with the state corporation Rostec told TASS.

"The assembly of serial aircraft will start in 2020. In 2021, first deliveries of MC-21 to customers are planned," the official of the state corporation said.

In August, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that series production of MC-21 passenger jets would hopefully start in 2021.

In November, Valery Okulov, adviser to director general of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said that UAC plans to manufacture six MC-21 passenger planes in 2021 and twice as many in 2022, bringing the output to 72 aircraft by 2025.

"It is planned to manufacture six MC-21 planes in 2021, twelve in 2022, and 25 in 2023. It is planned to bring the MC-21 output to 72 a year by 2025," he said.

UAC CEO Yuri Slyusar said in mid-November that the corporation planned to increase production of MC-21 medium-haul single-aisle passenger planes to 120 a year. So far, the corporation is capable of manufacturing 70 such aircraft a year.