The Irkut Corporation, a Russian manufacturer that develops the MC-21 jetliner and also took over the SSJ-New model, was renamed Yakovlev, said the state group United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which controls the main Russian aeronautical companies – and which makes part of an even larger conglomerate, Rostec.
The UAC stated that the decision to change the name of Irkut was taken due to the company’s increased competence in the field of civil aviation in recent years. All the manufacturer’s corporate rebranding procedures will be completed by August this year, according to the state-owned Russian group.
Follow ADN: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
The now Yakovlev becomes a kind of Russian “Boeing” or “Airbus”, focused on supplying commercial aircraft in Russia, which no longer has access to western jets after invading Ukraine and taking part of its territory.
Almost 90 years of history
Yakovlev is not a new name in Russian industry. The design bureau, also known as “Yak”, was established in 1934 by Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, a Soviet aeronautical engineer who designed a number of fighter aircraft before and during World War II.
Among the various aircraft developed by Yakovlev are the Yak-28 bomber, the Yak-38 vertical take-off and landing naval fighter, the Yak-40 and Yak-42 passenger trijets, as well as trainers and experimental planes. Irkut took over Yakovlev in 2004, which are now part of UAC.
According to the head of Rostec, Yakovlev will form the basis of the civil air fleet of the Russian Federation in the near future.
“By 2030, UAC companies will supply around 500 civil aircraft to Russian airlines,” reported Chemezov, who foresees the production of 270 MC-21 jets and another 142 SSJ-NEW, version of the SSJ100 reformulated with Russian content, until the end of this decade.
