According to aviation experts, the new regional aircraft Il-114-300 no longer has technical problems, and its application prospects are primarily related to intra-regional and short routes. This was stated by Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of the Aviaport agency, noting that the aircraft can occupy a niche in transportation on routes with moderate passenger traffic and weak ground infrastructure.
According to the expert, the Il-114-300 will be most effective on distances of approximately 500–600 kilometers, where jetliners are excessive, and larger aircraft are unprofitable. The expert believes that the aircraft is especially in demand in Siberia and the Far East, where An-24 and An-26 are still actively used. According to him, the Il-114-300 is capable of increasing flight frequency and making transportation more regular, up to daily flights on certain routes.
Panteleev also believes that the geography of the Il-114-300's application will not be limited to regions only. The aircraft can also be used on certain routes from Moscow and St. Petersburg with low passenger traffic, as well as on medium-haul international routes – for example, to China, Mongolia, and Belarus. However, in the case of international flights, he named the availability of pre-established spare parts logistics as an important condition.
The liner's task is to strengthen the "air link" between regions. But international flights are also within its capabilities.
Separately, the expert explained the choice of the turboprop scheme. According to him, such engines are more economical on short routes, allow the use of short and even unpaved runways, and provide optimal efficiency at low speeds. At the same time, he noted that jet aircraft are faster, but on regional routes, high speed is not always economically justified.
