MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. The first five Baikal regional aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2026, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov said in an interview with Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"We are basically in the process of experimental design work. It has been decided that we will switch to the domestic VK-800 engine. Next year our contractor should complete the certification of the engine and the propeller. The certification of the whole aircraft should be completed in 2026 and the first deliveries - the first five aircraft - should also be delivered in 2026," the minister said.

Earlier, at a meeting on infrastructure development in the Far East, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that the issue of building a regional aircraft, which is constantly being postponed, be resolved.