Russia Scraps Ladoga Civilian Airplane Project To Replace Obsolete An-24s
- 21.05.2026, 19:16
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The first of a line of aircraft that Russian authorities planned to build as part of a program to revive the aviation industry has been excluded from plans for civil aviation, The Moscow Times reports.
The design of the TVRS-44 Ladoga turboprop regional airliner, which was being developed to replace the An-24 and An-26 built in Soviet times, has been "suspended" in the civilian version, chief designer of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) Sergey Merenkov said Thursday.
The plane, originally designed for 44 passengers, was decided to be redesigned for military needs, he said. "It has been decided to transfer the aircraft and the entire scientific and technical background to the Ministry of Defense to create on the basis of the TVRS-44 aircraft either a ramp cargo version, or a cargo version with a side door, or a passenger version, but in the interests of the Ministry of Defense," Merenkov said (he is quoted by Interfax).
The project has not been completely suspended, but the possibility of "changing the appearance into a cargo version" is being worked out, the UZGA told TASS. The decision was made taking into account the high degree of readiness of the IL-114-300 regional aircraft and the limited market for such machines, a representative of the plant said.
In the framework of the ambitious program for the development of the aviation industry, which the government approved three years ago, last year airlines were to receive 25 Ladoga machines. They are desperately needed by carriers flying An turboprop planes, which are 50-60 years old. 15 airplanes were intended for the Far Eastern Aurora and another 20 for Krasavia. According to the plan, by 2030 aircraft factories were to produce 140 Ladogs, as well as more than 900 civil aircraft of other types.
In fact, in three years carriers received 12 Superjets and one Tu-214. The latter is not used for passenger transportation: it is flown by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
In 2026, airlines will not see a single Russian-made airplane again, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in May.
Serial production of the MS-21 airliner, which has been under development since the mid-2000s and, according to initial plans, should have flown 10 years ago, will begin in 2027; serial production of import-substituted Superjets and turboprop Il-114-300s has been postponed until 2027, Chemezov said.
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