Ural Airlines to build a dedicated MC-21 maintenance facility… before it even has the jets
One of Russia’s largest regional carriers has signed an agreement with Airports of Regions, operator of Koltsovo Airport, to construct a maintenance facility for a fleet of Yakovlev MC-21s it has yet to acquire.
Ural Airlines, which currently operates a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft and Superjet 100 regional jets, is preparing for the arrival of Russia’s homegrown narrowbody. It has announced plans to build a maintenance facility at its Koltsovo Airport base in Yekaterinburg.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Airports of Regions Management Company, which operates Koltsovo Airport, the airline will invest 10 billion rubles in the new facility, as reported earlier in July by Russian outlet 1.ru.
Ural Airlines CEO Kirill Skuratov previously stated that the carrier is ready to take delivery of new Russian-built aircraft, starting with 10 MC-21 narrowbodies.
The new 15,000 sqm hangar will accommodate up to five aircraft at once and will be equipped to handle landing gear and avionics repairs and maintenance. It is expected to come online between 2032 and 2033 and will form part of a wider technical infrastructure development programme at Koltsovo.
Why Ural Airlines is betting on the MC-21
With Western sanctions restricting Russia’s access to foreign aircraft and spare parts, interest has grown among local carriers, including Ural Airlines and Aeroflot, in the Yakovlev MC-21 narrowbody aircraft. The short- and medium-range passenger aircraft is a domestic alternative to models such as the Airbus A320 family. Commercial deliveries, dependent on certification, are expected from 2027.
Multiple certification flights have been conducted on MC-21 aircraft equipped with Russian-produced components, but full certification is not expected before the end of 2026. In June, the fully import-substituted MC-21-310 completed a range of more than 3,800km with a payload equivalent to 175 passengers, as Yakovlev works to prove that the heavily reworked airliner can meet operational requirements ahead of certification
Ural Airlines’ maintenance hangar investment is running well ahead of that timeline and the airline’s entry into service.
Ural Airlines was added to the European Union’s sanctions list for transporting military personnel during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Koltsovo Airport – a leading regional hub
Serving Yekaterinburg, Koltsovo International Airport is one of Russia’s busiest regional airports. In 2023, it handled around 24 million passengers. A gateway to the Ural region, it is a home base for Ural Airlines but is also served by Aegean Airlines, S7 Airlines, and Aeroflot, among others. Its network spans domestic routes as well as international destinations including Beijing and several cities in Europe.
Ural Airlines’ new facility is intended to strengthen regional aviation capabilities and provide additional support for Russian-built aircraft operating from the airport.
Airports of Regions, a major federal holding company with an extensive regional airport development programme, also operates Kurumoch in Samara, Strigino in Nizhny Novgorod, Platov in Rostov-on-Don and Gagarin in Saratov.
