The modernized Il-114-300 passenger aircraft, which was designed to replace the aging An-24 fleet, was presented to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin at the international industrial exhibition Innoprom-2025 on July 8.
Vadim Badeha, the General Director of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), informed Mishustin during the aircraft inspection that the aircraft is being developed with a particular focus on local aviation routes. It is capable of operating in remote regions with limited airfield infrastructure, on short and unpaved runways, and in low-temperature conditions.
“The modernized version is assembled from domestically produced components and is equipped with Russian systems and equipment. The Il-114-300 is planned to replace the outdated An-24s on domestic routes, as well as foreign-made aircraft of a similar class,” Badeha said.
The aircraft has already flown the Moscow–Yekaterinburg route as part of the testing process and has exhibited excellent fuel efficiency, as noted by the UAC director. He then provided the Prime Minister with technical details:
“The updated Il-114-300 has a cruising speed of 450–500 km/h, a maximum flight altitude of 7,600 meters, and a passenger capacity of up to 68 people. Certification is planned for December 2025, after which serial production of the aircraft will begin,” he said.
According to UAC, the domestic Il-114-300 aircraft was showcased to prospective consumers in Yekaterinburg.
The statement said a presentation of the Il-114-300 aircraft was conducted today at the Ural Airlines Aviation Technical Center. The event was attended by specialists from the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) and the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK), as well as PJSC ‘Il.’ The event was attended by potential customers and airline executives.
The event was attended by representatives from over ten operators.
It is anticipated that the Il-114-300, which is designed to address the shortage of civil aviation aircraft for domestic transportation, particularly to the Siberian and Far Eastern regions, will replace both Soviet-era and Western-built aircraft.
From 2019 to the first half of 2023, approximately 219 aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 140 have been withdrawn from the fleets of Russian airlines, according to the State Transport Leasing Company. The majority of the retired aircraft were outmoded models, such as 31 An-2s, 15 An-24s, and 12 Yak-42s, as well as worn foreign aircraft, including 29 Boeing 737s and 27 Airbus A319s.
In the interim, GTLK data indicates that the fleet was expanded by only 128 regional aircraft during the same period. Consequently, the regional aircraft fleet has decreased by 10% since 2019.
Maxim Pyadushkin, Managing Director of Aviation Transport Review magazine, told the Ural base newspaper URA, “The Il-114-300 is a mass-produced mainline aircraft primarily intended for regional air transport. Like the older An-24, it can land not only on paved runways but also on unpaved ones, including those with softened upper layers at poor-quality airfields, of which there are quite a few in Siberia and the Far East. This capability will make it possible to increase the number of flights in these regions.”
The expert asserts that the comprehensive program for the development of Russia’s aviation industry through 2030 is intended to produce over a thousand aircraft for civil aviation purposes, including 51 Il-114-300s.
Consequently, the fleets of Russian airlines will be supplemented with additional aircraft, including 105 TVRS-44 Ladoga and 139 Baikal aircraft. Dmitry Adamidov, an independent transport expert, is also of the opinion that the serial production of Il-114-300 aircraft will contribute to the resolution of the civil aviation aircraft deficit for regional routes.
“However, their potential should be assessed in a more comprehensive manner.” According to Adamidov, the Il-114-300 aircraft may also be in demand in third-world countries, such as those in the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.
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