Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said on 26 February that mass production of MC-21 aircraft will begin in 2021, with a production run of 70 aircraft by 2022. He said, ‘By 2022, the current aircraft manufacturing plants have the capacity to produce 72 MC-21s.’ In addition, Borisov noted the need to localise Russian airliner engines. While the MC-21 currently undergoing flight tests is equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines, the first MC-21s planned for mass production will be equipped with Russian-made PD-14 engines.

The PD-14 engine machine is expected to be certified in early 2021, and the prototype is currently undergoing its first series of tests. In addition, in January this year, the United States had imposed sanctions on Russia's United Aircraft Corporation and Russia's state technology group (Rostec), resulting in the interruption of the MC-21 wing composite material supply.