MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Power units necessary for beginning test flights of the Ladoga passenger airplane will be delivered in December of this year, Vsevolod Eliseev, general designer at UEC-Klimov, an affiliate of the United Engine Corporation (UEC), told TASS in an interview.

"We plan to prepare bench specimens for tests this year, at the start of the second half, and deliver two power units in December 2023 for mounting and outfitting the first Ladoga airplane for the start of flight tests. The second airplane will be outfitted in spring 2024. Three more engines have also been ordered to support aircraft certification," Eliseev said.

The company plans to deliver seven power units under the Ladoga program for test flights, complete the engine certification package, and then launch serial production, he noted.

"According to preliminary plans, deliveries starting with ten Ladoga airplanes per year are planned starting from 2027," Eliseev said. Accordingly, the plant will have the capacity to manufacture up to 25 engines with the required modifications starting from 2025, he added.

The Ladoga airplane is designed for use by regional airlines for handling both passengers and cargo and combined cargo loads.