KAZAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th February, 2022) The first commercial deliveries of Russian light multipurpose aircraft Baikal are planned to be carried out before end-2023, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told reporters.
"As for the certification procedure, we expect to receive an airworthiness certificate by the end of next year and make the first commercial deliveries by the end of next year. Active work is already underway, especially after the first flight, which just recently took place," the minister said.
Kazakhstan and other countries of the near abroad are interested in the deliveries of Baikal, Manturov said.
"Kazakhstan and our other colleagues from neighboring countries are also showing interest, but we expect to form a sufficient portfolio of orders this year. Today, there are about 40 so-called soft orders, but we expect that it will be at least 400 over the next two and a half three years," he said.
LMS-901 Baikal was developed by Russia's Baikal Engineering under a contract with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It should replace the obsolete light multipurpose aircraft An-2. Serial production of Baikals is planned from 2024.
