Sanctions against Russia have effectively put air travel between Novosibirsk and Belokurikha on hold. The reason was the disrupted An-2 re-engining program with American Honeywell engines, explained Gennady Guselnikov, head of the interregional association "Sibirskoye Soglasheniye".
Without modernized aircraft, there was nothing to implement the regional small aviation air route project. Flights were planned from Novosibirsk not only to Belokurikha but also to Strezhevoy, Tomsk Oblast.
No one is flying anywhere, primarily because there is nothing to fly on, since there are no small aviation aircraft.
The An-2 was supposed to be the basis of the project. The aircraft were planned to be restored, their avionics updated, and turboprop Honeywell engines installed. After the introduction of sanctions, neither engines nor an American license could be obtained.
The government decided to create a new model, they are working a lot with it, the deadlines are constantly shifting. But in fact, there is no small aviation passenger aircraft capable of landing on unprepared sites and short unpaved strips – what we need.
However, the modernization of Soviet An-2s in Russia is still ongoing. The biplanes have increased their fuel reserve by 700 liters, and flight duration has increased by 3-4 hours, noted Vladimir Barsuk, director of SibNIA named after Chaplygin.
Currently, An-2s fly with Soviet ASh-62IR engines. The cost of their repair has increased 10 times in 6 years – from 800 thousand to 8 million rubles.