About 700 An-2 aircraft are in storage in Russia, and many of them have used only 25–30% of their service life. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Gennady Abramenkov at the Eastern Economic Forum, TASS reports.

In July 2026, Rosaviatsiya issued a type certificate for the An-2, which paved the way for the modernization of these aircraft. Companies will be able to legally modify the aircraft: install a new engine, avionics, and change the interior.

According to Abramenkov, more than four companies are interested in such work. The Ministry of Industry and Trade gathered small aviation manufacturers in Nizhny Novgorod and announced its readiness to provide affordable avionics and engines.

The new Il-114-300 and Osvey aircraft will not saturate the market immediately, so the An-2 remains a temporary solution for regional transport connectivity. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev reported that deliveries of fully updated An-2s with the VK-800 engine are planned from 2028, and modernized aircraft with the old engine from 2027.