Flight operations in Siberia were suspended due to a shortage of aircraft
Russia was unable to launch its planned regional flights in Siberia due to a shortage of small aircraft. The routes in question are from Novosibirsk to Strezhevoy in the Tomsk Region and to Belokurikha in the Altai Region. According to a local official, the problem was caused, in particular, by the failure of a project to modernize the Soviet-era An-2 aircraft.
Flights from Novosibirsk were scheduled to operate to Strezhevoy and Belokurikha. Strezhevoy is an oil town in the Tomsk region, where thousands of workers, including shift workers, travel regularly. Belokurikha, in turn, is a well-known resort of federal significance in the foothills of the Altai Mountains.
However, neither route has been launched yet. According to Guselnikov, one of the main reasons is the lack of light aircraft that could be used on such routes. “No one is flying anywhere, primarily because there’s nothing to fly on if there are no small aircraft. Our main aircraft was the An-2—a very old one,” said the official.
The plan was to rely on the old An-2
Previously, Russia had planned to continue using the An-2, known as the “Kukuruznik,” after a major overhaul. The plan called for modernizing the avionics and replacing the old engine. They wanted to use an American Honeywell turboprop engine to re-engine the aircraft, and planned to organize the production of such engines in Russia under license.
However, after relations with the West deteriorated, this plan effectively came to a halt. Russia did not receive the necessary American engines or licenses. “The plan was to replace the avionics and manufacture Honeywell engines under license, but things turned out the way they did—we have no American licenses or engines,” Guselnikov explained. According to him, continuing the An-2 re-engining project no longer makes sense.
New routes were discussed as early as 2024
Guselnikov had already announced plans to launch new regional flights back in 2024. It was expected that these flights would make travel between Siberian cities and other regions more convenient. However, without the appropriate aircraft, these plans could not be implemented.
The problem is particularly acute in Siberia, where distances between settlements can be enormous, and road and rail routes do not always allow for quick access to remote cities. To date, regular flights from Novosibirsk to Strezhevoy and Belokurikha have not been launched. Officials cite, first and foremost, the lack of suitable small aircraft and the failure of plans to modernize the An-2 as the reasons for this, according to Russian media reports.
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