"There are almost no spare parts, you can't buy new ones": How Russia's small aviation is dying before the release of the LMS-901 "Baikal" for 340 million rubles

Small regional aviation in Russia is in a deplorable state due to the obsolescence of equipment, said pilot Alexey Lyubko. Most of the fleet in the region consists of helicopters and aircraft of Soviet production aged 30-40 years.

Moral obsolescence

According to him, new Russian models LMS-901 "Baikal" and light aircraft Tango are still produced in limited quantities or are at the certification stage. It is difficult for regions to purchase imported aircraft and spare parts due to sanctions.

There are few modern Russian cars. Most of the cars are over 25 years old.

Alexey Lyubko, pilot

Lyubko also noted that there are practically no spare parts for the aircraft and helicopters available to regional airlines, and if there are, their price is very high. All this complicates the maintenance of small aviation in the country as a whole.

Investments needed

Demand for domestic air transportation is also limited. According to Andrey Litvinenko from PANH, "the development of the market segment depends on the volume of orders, and not on the availability of equipment."

Experts believe that without serious investments in infrastructure, expanding the customer base and updating the fleet, full-fledged development of small aviation is unlikely. In the meantime, flights in the regions remain a niche and expensive segment, available mainly for corporate and private clients.

What about Baikal?

The LMS-901 "Baikal", created at the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, is designed to replace the 70-year-old An-2. The cargo-passenger aircraft with the VK-800 engine will be able to transport 9 people or 1.5 tons of cargo over a distance of 1.5 thousand km.

"Baikal" is undergoing flight tests and, according to experts, will be in demand in air transportation and other industries. According to preliminary estimates, full-fledged deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2026. The cost of the aircraft is estimated at220-340 million rubles.

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