The task of the new turboprop Il-114-300 is to replace the fleet of regional An-24 and An-26 aircraft, designed in the 20th century, which are already morally obsolete. This was stated by the head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov.
According to him, the service life of Soviet aircraft is coming to an end, but a large number of them are still in operation.
The Il-114-300 will replace them; it is completing the certification process and will allow regional airlines to update their fleet.
It should be noted that the Il-114-300 surpasses the An-24 and An-26 in range — 1900 km versus 1250 km, respectively.
The new airliner can carry 64–68 passengers, while the An-24 accommodates up to 48–52 people, and the cargo-passenger An-26 — up to 43.
Alikhanov announced on April 2 that the Il-114-300 had fully completed flight tests. Now, a decision on issuing a type certificate is expected from Rosaviatsia, but how long it will take to make that decision is unknown.