Russia launches passenger plane to take on Airbus' A320 and Boeing's 757
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says 'cool' MC-21 will be the pride of Russia's fleet
A Russian plane maker has unveiled a new passenger jet that it believes will be able to compete with Boeing and Airbus.
The new MC-21 passenger plane is scheduled for serial production from early next year.
In a ceremony at a factory in Siberia, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described the medium range aircraft as 'cool' and would soon be the pride of Russia's fleet.
"This is a huge victory for our aviation industry and Irkut Corporation, our scientists, designers, engineers and workers," said Medvedev according to Russian media.
Irkut Corporation is the developer of the plane which reports claim has cost approximately US$3.5 billion (100 billion rubles) to build.
Irkut's parent company United Aircraft Corporation said the plane would be able to service routes with a range up to 6,400 kilometers.