Russia flies first new post-Soviet passenger airliner with domestic engines

An MS-21-310 passenger plane with Russian-developed PD-14 engines ascends during a test flight in Irkutsk, Russia, December 15, 2020. Rostec State Corporation/Handout via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia flew a new passenger airliner with domestically-built engines for the first time since the Soviet era on Tuesday, the start of what it hopes will be a revival of a civil aviation industry to challenge Boeing and Airbus.

The medium-range MC-21 plane took off from a Siberian airfield powered by Russian-built PD-14 turbo-fan engines. The plane first flew in May, 2017, but with U.S.-made engines.