The initiative to return the An-2 fleet will be a measure that can only partially solve the problem of regional transportation, but will not eliminate it completely. This was stated by Mikhail Tyaglik, Associate Professor of Institute No. 1 "Aircraft Engineering" of the Moscow Aviation Institute.
According to him, there are enough arguments in favor of returning the aircraft in the short term, but it is important to remember first and foremost about the service life of the equipment. Most An-2s were built in the 60s-80s – even after repairs, their operational life is severely limited.
From the point of view of flight safety, outdated navigation and communication systems, and the absence of modern collision avoidance systems can be noted. All this requires replacement, i.e., resources.
The return of 700 An-2s, according to Tyaglik, is a pragmatic step to maintain transport accessibility here and now. However, such a step is a temporary solution, a "plaster" that will cover demand until new aircraft of a similar class are massively put into operation.
Earlier, "Pervy Tekhnichesky" in a large article compared the capabilities of the An-2 with the new LMS-901 "Baikal". Despite its Soviet past, this aircraft proved to be surprisingly versatile and unpretentious, although it raised questions about its speed and fuel consumption.
