This was stated in an interview with the Russia-24 TV channel by the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov.
We are, in fact, in the state of experimental design work. A decision was made to switch to the domestic VK-800 engine. Next year, our contractor should complete the certification of the engine and propeller. And the certification of the entire aircraft should be completed in 2026. And the first deliveries — the first five aircraft — they should also deliver in 2026.
According to the minister, the capacity of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) is insufficient for the projected demand for this aircraft.
This is a separate issue. We are currently working on it together with UZGA and the United Aircraft Corporation. [...] There are several options that we will be working on in the coming weeks.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum on September 4, demanded explanations from officials regarding the delay in mass production and stated that the aircraft should be launched "into mass production in the near future." The head of state asked to "accelerate the development of the Baikal light multi-purpose aircraft for passenger aviation." After that, the promising Baikal aircraft halved in price in a week.
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The release dates of Russian Baikal aircraft and the reasons for their delay have been announced
