russian aviation-related sources report that one of Rosaviatsiya's subsidiaries has commissioned certification work to extend the service life of An-26 aircraft used in russia’s civil aviation for another 10 years.
They cite data indicating that 11 russian airlines currently operate a total of 13 An-26 aircraft in a cargo configuration and 23 An-26-100 aircraft configured for passenger transportation. The average service life of these aircraft has already reached 50 years. Due to the lack of an adequate replacement, they will have to remain in service for at least another decade.
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The intended successor to the An-26 in the civil aviation sector of the aggressor state was supposed to be the 44-seat TVRS-44 Ladoga regional aircraft. However, its deliveries to customers will only begin in 2028, despite the initial plan to start in 2024.
Until February 2022, russian airlines were able to import Canadian-built De Havilland Dash-8 aircraft or French-Italian ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft. However, due to Western sanctions, this option is no longer available to them.
Additionally, the introduction of the Il-114-300 regional aircraft is two years behind schedule. Initially planned for 2024, it is now expected to enter service no earlier than 2026. It is also worth noting that the russians have a military variant of this aircraft, designated Il-114MP, intended for naval aviation.
In June 2023, Rosaviatsiya announced its intention to cooperate with China to potentially obtain components for the An-24 and An-26 aircraft. However, whether this plan has been implemented remains undisclosed by the russians themselves.
At present, only one enterprise in the aggressor state is capable of servicing An-26 aircraft—the Aramil Aviation Repair Plant (AARZ), which is part of the Rostec Corporation. However, this plant is primarily focused on fulfilling orders from the russian Ministry of Defense.
As of early 2023, according to The Military Balance 2024, up to 113 An-26 aircraft remained in service with the military transport aviation of the russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), along with 25 An-72 aircraft. However, according to russia’s current plans, a replacement for these aircraft is expected at best by 2030 in the form of the Il-212 jet aircraft. This aircraft is, in turn, an attempt to revive the Il-112 project, which was abandoned after the loss of its only prototype.
All of the above serves as just an illustration of the current state of aircraft production in russia, both military and civilian. This is particularly relevant in light of recent russian assessments that installing an An-28 engine on the An-2 would be cheaper than continuing development of the Baikal aircraft. Additionally, the manufacturer of the Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 has completed only 10% of its production plan for the Tu-214, which is being painted in belarus.
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