Russian civil aviation research institute GosNIIAS has ordered the initiation of work to prolong the life of Antonov An-26 regional aircraft by another 10 years.

The Soviet-era An-26 first flew in 1969 and the order – listed in procurement documents, according to news agency Interfax – would extend the type’s life from 50 years to 60.

GosNIIAS has awarded a contract and is requesting completion by the end of January 2028.

Khabarovsk An-26-c-Vladimir Galkin Creative Commons GNU1.2

Source: Vladimir Galkin/Creative Commons GNU1.2

Several Russian carriers still operate the Soviet-era An-26

The reason for the project has not been specified but the Russian aerospace industry has been developing aircraft intended to replace the An-24 and An-26.

These include the Ilyushin Il-114-300 and the UZGA TVRS-44 Ladoga twin turboprops.

But the Russian government disclosed last year that serial production of both types has been pushed back.

It indicted a two-year delay for the Il-114-300, to 2026, while the Ladoga would be postponed to 2028.

An-26s are powered by Ivchenko-Progress AI-24 engines. The type remains in service with several Russian regional airlines.

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