Irkutsk Aviation Plant is preparing to launch in-house painting of serial MC-21 aircraft starting in early 2027. General Director Andrey Soynov stated that the facility is currently mastering the technology and conducting practical tests to optimize the process and reduce turnaround time.
The plant has already painted one An-24 aircraft for the airline IrAero to refine its procedures. A second aircraft from the same carrier is scheduled to arrive on October 10 for further testing. Additionally, the facility has reached an agreement to paint one prototype import-substituted Superjet 100.
In November, the company plans to paint an MC-21 using Russian-made coatings from the manufacturer Russkie Kraski. These operations were previously assigned to the Ulyanovsk-based company Spektr-Avia, but the workload is now being transferred to Irkutsk.
Beyond painting, the plant intends to integrate cabin interior installation directly into the serial MC-21 assembly line starting in 2027. This shift aims to streamline production by handling interior fitting within the main manufacturing flow.
