"Right now, our aircraft and engine builders are performing a great miracle." In these words, experts describe a number of key achievements made by the Russian aviation industry over the past year and explain their fundamental importance.
In 2025, four not just domestic aircraft, but fully import-substituted versions of them went on their first flight at once. These are the regional IL-114-300, the medium-haul MC-21, the new Superjet–100 and the Baikal representative of small aircraft.
First of all, Russia has managed to create the key components for these machines – aircraft engines. The engine is the most technologically complex and labor–intensive product in aviation, recalls Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global.
"This is an undoubted success, the result of many years of painstaking work. Import substitution of the Superjet was launched back in 2018, and the MC-21 in 2022. Baikal has also been waiting for a domestic engine for several years, and the engine for the Il-114 has also been refined for several years," says the head of Avia.<url>" Roman Gusarov.
The Superjet is a short–range aircraft, which is actually the base aircraft for Russian civil aviation today. More than twenty years ago, this project became Russia's first civilian airliner since the collapse of the USSR. It has long been mastered by Russian airlines, but the engine originally intended for this machine is the French SaM-146.
Due to the sanctions imposed by the West, the supply of these engines to Russia was stopped. The task was set to develop our own power plant as soon as possible, and it was successfully implemented. In 2025, we managed to lift a car into the air, in which all the components are Russian–made. Including the new PD-8 engine.
As for the MS-21 medium-haul airliner, the flight test program for the aircraft with Russian-made components in 2025 has reached its maximum level of intensity. Seven years after the first sanctions against the MC-21, the project has reached the finish line. A year later, the liner will begin receiving its first passengers. Now Boeing and Airbus will have to come to terms with the appearance of their direct competitor for the first time in post-Soviet history.
Another Russian regional aircraft, the IL-114-300 turboprop, has completed more than 99% of certification flights and will complete the test program in the foreseeable future. The first three machines are expected to be ready for the customer as early as 2026.
"There are literally only a few flights left related to the climatic features of operation. We will expect the appropriate climatic conditions. There are issues related to icing, low temperatures and lightning. This should happen in the foreseeable future, we hope," said Vadim Badekha, CEO of UAC, in late December. Serial production of the IL-114-300 has already been launched at the Lukhovitsy plant. By 2030, it is planned to increase their production to 20 units per year.
Finally, the Baikal light multipurpose aircraft made its first flight with an all-Russian powerplant. The new engine marks a new stage in the development of Russia's small aircraft.
The Baikal is intended to replace the famous An-2, the most massive Soviet aircraft produced since 1948. Thanks to the new engine, the country should receive a new aircraft capable of landing and taking off from any unpaved airfields and even fields. Baikal will be able to connect the most remote towns and villages. It is quieter and more environmentally friendly than the An-2. Finally, it is more comfortable because it has a heated interior.
The Russian aviation industry is going through an important stage of commissioning a series of fully import-substituted aircraft.
"If we look strategically, our aircraft and engine builders are performing a great miracle right now. No one in the world produces airplanes or engines entirely on their own. And we are solving this problem.",
– says Gusarov. The expert urges us to understand that the industry does not always keep up with the initially announced production rates of new machines. "Hard work is underway. The most pleasant thing about this is that all this work is within the power of our engineers, our science, and our production staff. Special thanks to our Western former partners who imposed sanctions. Suddenly it turned out that we can do everything ourselves," the aviation expert believes.
The transfer of the first Superjets and MS-21 into commercial operation to airlines is planned by the end of 2026 upon completion of flight and certification tests. "However, it is impossible to expect a large number of these aircraft, because the industry needs time to set up production. The volume of new aircraft production will be increased gradually. Airlines also need time to put equipment into operation, organize technical support, and train personnel, engineers, and flight personnel. Therefore, these first planes will not affect the market situation next year. We will be able to evaluate the first results of the appearance of new aircraft in airlines only in 2027," the source says.
In addition to the above, experts note several more positive changes in the Russian aviation industry. "It is important to single out another unit that is often underestimated – this is the "ground", that is, technical support for aircraft. Repair facilities for the western fleet of aircraft in 2025 have become an independent industry story, because they are the ones that give the transportation system time while new Russian aircraft and engines are certified and put into production," Chernov notes.
Another point is the preservation of flight safety, despite the departure of Western companies that previously serviced foreign aircraft. "Even under conditions of total sanctions, Russia remains at a decent level of flight safety. At the same time, we still provide a serious volume of transportation - more than 100 million passengers per year," concludes Gusarov.
Olga Samofalova
