Airlines faced the risk of stopping flights on the An-2 “maize”

Russian airlines that operate An-2 light multi-purpose aircraft (LMS) may stop flying on them due to a shortage of imported spare parts. About it informed RBC with reference to two participants in the meeting of the working group “Development of Air Transportation and Regional Airports” of the State Council Commission in the direction of “Transport”. The meeting took place on June 29

During the meeting, the general director of the Moscow Aviation Repair Plant (MARP) Pavel Nenastyev pointed out the rise in the price of foreign spare parts for these aircraft and the need for import substitution of about 60 components for them. If this is not done, the flights of An-2 aircraft will be stopped.

This position is also shared by the general director of the Shakhty Aviation Repair Plant (SHARZ) Vladimir Solomatov and a representative of the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation (SibNIA), which since 2013 has been the developer of the An-2 in Russia.

According to a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, work is now underway to create a light multi-purpose aircraft “Baikal”, which carriers will begin to receive from 2024. The Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) is developing it.

LMS-901 “Baikal” was developed by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2019-2021. 100% subsidiary of UZGA by Baikal Engineering. State investments in the project amounted to 1.25 billion rubles. The Baikal prototype made its first flight in Yekaterinburg at the end of January 2022. The aircraft is designed for 9-12 seats. It is assumed that Baikal will replace the fleet of obsolete An-2 corncobs in Russia. According to SibNIA for 2022, the total number of An-2s with airworthiness certificates in Russia is 218.