MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Russia’s project to develop light utility aircraft Baikal will continue to advance and will be implemented, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told reporters.
"All the final decisions have been made. […] This project will continue to evolve and will be carried out," Manturov emphasized.
According to him, significant changes have been made to the aircraft. "I believe the decision taken by the Ministry of Industry and Trade was absolutely correct and well-considered," Manturov said.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev had previously stated that the Baikal aircraft project had reached an impasse and that production was not expected.
However, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has emphasized that the effectiveness of improvements to the Baikal light aircraft has been confirmed, and that research and development efforts on the project will continue.
Earlier reports indicated that the first serial deliveries of the regional Baika 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).