The need for Russian-Belarusian light multi-purpose aircraft LMS-192 "Osvey" will be higher than expected. This is due to the need to replace L-410s, which were produced at the facilities of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (JSC "UZGA"). This opinion was expressed by Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of the "Aviaport" agency.
It was planned to assemble 178 L-410 aircraft by 2030. Now it is obvious that the needs will be somewhat higher due to the fact that even relatively recently produced L-410s also need to be replaced.
According to the expert, airlines serving regional routes will need government support when purchasing new aircraft. Consequently, sales of LMS-192 "Osvey" will depend on budget funding, Panteleev emphasized.
Another aviation expert, Ilya Shatilin, noted that LMS-192 "Osvey" could be in demand for training military transport aviation crews. In addition to the L-410, the aircraft should replace the outdated An-28, he added.
Rosaviatsiya estimates the need for new Russian-Belarusian aircraft at 59 units by 2035. They will be assembled at the "Sokol" plant in Nizhny Novgorod. A prototype of the "Osvey" will appear in 2027. Certification is scheduled for 2029.
Since 2018, the Ural Civil Aviation Plant has been mass-producing the regional aircraft L-410 (Turbolet) under license from a Czech enterprise. Assembly was carried out in Yekaterinburg, but due to sanctions and the cessation of component supplies, production was frozen.