East Russian carrier Aurora Airlines has reached a preliminary agreement for the lease of three Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprops.

The airline signed the letter of intent at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

It will source the aircraft through state lessor GTLK, with deliveries scheduled from 2027.

“Implementation of the project will improve transport accessibility and connectivity of the regions, and will facilitate the introduction of a new type of Russian aircraft to the market,” says the lessor.

United Aircraft believes that the aircraft will be in demand in regions with limited airport infrastructure and difficult climate conditions.

The company describes the Il-114-300 as a “flying minibus”, stating that it will be “modern and safe” but also “reliable, easy to operate [and] inexpensive to maintain”.

State technology firm Rostec says the prototype aircraft have carried out more than 250 flights during certification testing and the Klimov TV7-117ST-01 engines have accumulated over 2,000h.

While certification data has confirmed the engines’ “reliability, efficiency and effectiveness”, says Rostec executive director Oleg Yevtushenko, Klimov has been refining their software to improve performance and service life.