MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. The remotorization of the Antonov An-2, originally produced 80 years ago, will solve the issue arising from the termination of the Baikal aircraft project, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev.

"Now we will have to address the situation through the remotorization of the An-2. They were produced 80 years ago. Unfortunately, this is the situation we are facing," Trutnev said.

He said earlier on Wednesday that the Baikal aircraft project has reached an impasse, and production is no longer expected.

Earlier reports indicated that the first serial deliveries of the regional Baikal aircraft were scheduled to begin in 2026. At the time, the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, the aircraft’s developer, had guaranteed that the cost of the Baikal would not exceed 280 mln rubles ($3.48 mln).

The LMS-901 Baikal light multipurpose aircraft was intended to replace the Soviet-era Antonov An-2 multipurpose aircraft. It is designed to seat nine passengers. The aircraft’s cruising speed is up to 300 km/h, and its maximum flight range is 3,000 km (or 1,500 km with a payload of 2 tons).