The announced deliveries of 85 Il-114-300 aircraft to Indian airlines seem premature, as the aircraft has not yet undergone long-term commercial operation and safety checks, according to Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR and Chairman of the Civil Aviation Commission of the Public Council of Rostransnadzor.
The reason for this assessment was OAK's agreements with Indian companies Pinnacle Air and Sleek Aviation for the supply of a total of 85 Il-114-300s. OAK reported plans to conclude the first firm contracts by the end of 2026 and subsequently move to service maintenance, crew training, and possible localization of aircraft production in India.
Smirnov considers the main obstacle to be the lack of real operational experience of the Il-114-300 in airlines. According to him, a foreign carrier must first see how the aircraft performs in regular flights.
They are not fools abroad: new aircraft are bought after they have shown economic viability and safety on the local air routes of the manufacturing country
At the same time, the expert does not deny India's need for regional aircraft. A large population, remote territories, and difficult transport accessibility of certain areas create demand for aircraft of the Il-114-300 class. However, according to his assessment, there is a significant difference between interest in the aircraft and the real readiness of the Indian market to accept a large batch.
Separately, Smirnov pointed to a more systemic problem of the Russian aircraft industry – dependence on broad production cooperation. He believes that to return to the scale of Soviet civil aviation, it is not enough to assemble an aircraft: it is necessary to restore the production of a huge number of components and expand the range of manufacturers. He highlights India as a potential partner, primarily due to its strong competencies in IT and electronics.