On December 6, 2023, Mikhail Degtyarev, the head of the Khabarovsk Krai, announced that the construction of the Baikal aircraft manufacturing plant would commence in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The news was reported by TASS.
The construction of the factory is scheduled to start this month, with a contract already in place with the contracting organization. Funding for the project has been allocated through the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the location has been finalized.
Degtyarev mentioned that the factory project has been expanded in terms of its footprint, covering an area of 10.5 thousand square meters. The facility is expected to employ over 80 individuals.
The completion and commissioning of the factory are targeted for June-July 2025, and there is a possibility that it might be operational sooner, as mentioned by the regional head. The contractor aims to finish construction in a single building season and potentially deliver the plant by December 2024, utilizing fast-track construction methods.
The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade selected UZGA in October 2019 to develop Baikal as a replacement for the widespread Antonov An-2. The prototype made its maiden flight on 30 January 2022. The aluminum, single-turboprop airplane is powered by a GE H80 or a Klimov VK-800. It is planned to carry a 2 t (4,400 lb) payload or 9–12 passengers over 1,500 km (810 nmi) at 300 km/h (160 kn) from short unpaved airstrips.
