In the Far East, it was decided not to wait for the new "Baikal" aircraft and return to the proven An-2 biplanes. Aurora Airlines plans to receive 6–8 re-engined aircraft annually for the shortest routes between remote settlements, said Alexey Chekunkov, head of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic.
According to him, "Baikal" is undergoing a "long and difficult development stage," although it was initially part of Aurora's long-term investment plans.
As an alternative, a decision was made to re-engine the An-2. An updated version of the aircraft has already been created at the SibNIA named after S. A. Chaplygin, featuring a Russian engine, propeller, modern cabin, avionics, and composite materials. We agreed to re-engine 6–8 aircraft annually at SibNIA's facilities.
Pavel Nenastyev, director of the DOSAAF aircraft repair plant in Balashikha, explained the economic difference. According to him, restoring one An-2 costs about 20 million rubles, while a new LMS-901 costs up to 340 million rubles, depending on specific components.
As of autumn 2026, "Baikal" is at the stage of preparing a prototype for endurance testing.
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