Moscow Aviation Institute founded in 1930 is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow. Nowadays, Moscow Aviation Institute is the leading Russian high-tech university, training the global elite of engineering staff for the aviation, missile and space industries.

The University has its focus on the development of areas such as Aircraft, Space and Energy systems, IT, new materials and production technologies, the multifaceted use of aerospace and digital technologies.Works on design and construction of different types of aircrafts and engines were carried out in MAI constantly. In MAI they designed more than 200 types of aircrafts and aircraft engines, including: 26 planes, 25 rotary-wing aircrafts, 24 aircraft frames, 30 hang gliders and trikes, 29 remotely piloted aircrafts, 12 artificial earth satellites and space crafts, 6 lighter-than-air aircrafts (airships, balloons, etc.), 11 flapping wing aircrafts, 10 underwater research vehicles, 44 aircraft engines. Lightweight aerobatic plane Kvant designed by the student design bureau and built in MAI experimental manufacturing workshop set five world records (in 70-80ies).

Moscow Aviation University is the only university in Russia that has a certificate of aeronautical engineering developer. Such fact confirms the highest level of professional competence of its employees.

Since the foundation of MAI, more than 175 000 professionals have graduated. More than 70% of MAI graduates work for industry-based corporations. MAI holds the record among universities in the number of graduates who have become space and test pilots. There are 23 pilot-cosmonauts who spent more than 15 years performing space missions. 65 spacewalks were carried out. Many MAI graduates are currently working as cosmonauts.

MAI is constantly in touch with industry and takes part in all major projects of its partners. More than 17 000 foreign students have graduated from MAI. More than 80 cooperation contracts were signed. MAI takes part in major international associations such as the CDIO, ASRTU, Pegasus, ICAS, IAF. MAI collaborates with Russian and foreign corporations and organizations such as the United Aircraft Corporation, the state corporations "Roscosmos" and "Rostec", COMAC, Safran, ENAC, BrahMos Aerospace, HAL, and others. The university has contracts with education institutions from the countries of South East Asia (Malaysia, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, and others), India, China, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Angola etc. MAI carries out unique joint education programs to train an engineering team for the new Russian-Chinese wide-body long-haul aircraft development project.MAI runs 7 double-diploma projects with leading high-tech universities of China.

Alumni of the institute form the backbone of many companies like Sukhoi, Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Tupolev, Yakovlev, Beriev, Myasishchev, Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, OAO S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, Lavochkin, Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, NPO Energomash, Almaz-Antey and others.

University had 175 000 + graduate alumni, 250 of whom chief designers, heads of main industry-based organizations, 23 cosmonauts (Valeri Kubasov, Vladislav Volkov,Gennadi Manakov, Musa Manarov, Viktor Afanasyev, Mikhail Kornienko), 150 honored test pilots, heroes of Russia, 300 honored state figures and heads of economic institution, ambassadors (Anatoly Dobrynin,Nikolay Firyubin,Leonid Zamyatin, Mikhail Smirnovsky), business top-level representatives, 17 rectors of higher educational institutions.