OREANDA-NEWS. During the 50th International Airshow Le Bourget in Paris, VEB-leasing and IRKUT Corporation signed a Letter of Intent to purchase a fleet of MC-21 aircraft.

On behalf of VEB-leasing the document was signed by General Director Viacheslav Solovyev, and on behalf of IRKUT Corporation by President Oleg Demchenko.

Under the agreement, VEB-leasing plans to place a firm order for 30 MC-21-type aircraft, with a total of catalog value of USD 2.5 billion.

The contract for the supply of the aircraft is expected to be concluded before the end of this year. Delivery of the aircraft to the customer will take place in the period from 2018 to 2022. As part of the agreement, IRKUT Corporation will issue to VEB-leasing quality assurance in respect of each aircraft for a period of 36 months from the date of delivery and provide services necessary for their successful entry into service.

Previously, the two companies had signed a lease agreement for the acquisition and leasing to IRKUT Corporation of the production equipment for the project to develop and commercially produce a family of medium-range MC-21 aircraft.

"The project to build the MC-21 aircraft is important for both the aviation industry specifically and for the national economy as a whole. This agreement is intended to contribute to the process of upgrading and renewal of the fleet of Russian airlines and to the development of the domestic aircraft industry as a whole," said Viacheslav Solovyev, General Director of VEB-leasing, during the signing ceremony.

"Our multifaceted cooperation with Vnesheconombank and VEB-Leasing makes a significant contribution to the successful development of the MC-21 - the most attractive project of the Russian aviation industry in the segment of civil aviation," said Oleg Demchenko, President of IRKUT Corporation.