Russian polar aviation needs renewal—every year the Arctic regional airlines are under increasing pressure, both in terms of passenger traffic and cargo turnover. The revival of economic activity in the North, large-scale polar projects and, of course, the new law on northern supply are making demands that the ageing An-24s are certainly coping with but with increasing difficulty. One of the successors of the legendary 'workhorse' may become the new IL 114-300, currently undergoing flight tests.

United Aircraft Company has resumed testing of an airplane laid down back in the 1980s. In those years, the Ilyushin Design Bureau team devised an initiative to create a new turboprop aircraft specially adapted to the harsh conditions of the Russian Arctic. It utilises a high-performance wing designed together with the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, can land on unequipped dirt and concrete airfields, has reliable navigation equipment and a built-in gangway for passengers. Globally speaking, an experienced pilot can land an IL 114-300 in dense fog on level ground with minimal assistance from the ground. High autonomy, resistance to loads and calculation for operation in extreme climates—everything that is needed for regular air service in the Arctic.

Unfortunately, the design was not completed until the 1990s. The first flight was made on 29 March 1990, and the aircraft received the IAC certificate only in 1997. The economic situation at the time vetoed further development, freezing the project.

In 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start work on the development of an updated IL 114-300 airplane. Now it is being created as a universal platform, based on which, in addition to passenger versions, UAC was going to produce cargo, cargo-passenger, sanitary boards, as well as special purpose vehicles.

However, it is not only the economy that is to blame for the solid development time of the airplane. IL 114 in various modifications suffered several test crashes—in 1993, 1999 and 2021. Each incident claimed the lives of crew members and provoked a large public outcry, slowing down the already slow development. The cause of the last crash was attributed to the TV7-117ST-01 engine, which UAC sent for revision as a result of the investigation. Successful tests in April 2024 give hope that the designers managed to bring the design to fruition. At the same time, changes were made to the airplane itself—the wide use of composite materials made it possible to lighten the design. All materials and components are manufactured in Russia, which is especially important in the current political environment. The engines are developed and produced in St. Petersburg at the JSC "ODK Klimov" plant, the OJSC Voronezh Aircraft Production Association produces the airframe and in Nizhny Novgorod, the aircraft building plant Sokol is responsible for the fuselage and, in general, 40% of aircraft parts. After passing the tests, the IL 114-300 should become a new ultra-reliable workhorse that will carry 68 people and 1.5 tons of payload for 5,600 km at maximum fuel load.  

The Polar region needs new airplanes now more than ever. Transporting goods by air is as much a part of the northern supply as delivery by sea or rivers. It is often the only way to quickly bring medicines, spare parts and other relatively light essential goods to remote settlements. The new regulations, effective 1 April 2024, establish the same cargo handling priority for the Polar region at airports as at railroads, ports and other logistics hubs. Today, parallel to the testing of the new IL 114-300 there is other work going on. The Aerokhimflot aviation alliance has been actively renovating airfields in remote Arctic settlements for the past two years. They are being equipped with automatic weather stations, personnel are being trained and the Cascade integrated automated system of aviation operations is being adapted. By the way, it is also made in Russia, but it was developed already in the current century.