#antonov26

Antonov An-26B-100 Kostroma Aviation Enterprise

Registration: RA-26081 Named: Sharya Type: An-26B-100 Engines: 2 × AI-24VT Serial Number: 117-03 First flight: 1981

Kostroma Aviation Enterprise is a regional airline founded in 1944 and based at Sokerino Airport, located six kilometers from Kostroma. Over eight decades of operation, Kostroma aviators have experienced much: the golden era of Soviet regional aviation, when An-2s flew to every village with a dirt runway; the arrival of turboprop L-410s in the late 1970s, which expanded the geography of flights; then the difficult 1990s with reduced routes and an uncertain future. Nevertheless, the enterprise survived.

Today, the core of the small fleet consists of An-26 turboprop aircraft – reliable Soviet machines capable of operating in harsh conditions. The company operates regular passenger flights on the Kostroma–Saint Petersburg route three times a week. During the summer season, additional routes to Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan are opened. The fleet also includes Mi-2 and Ansat helicopters, used for medical aviation, search and rescue operations, and VIP transportation.

Kostroma Aviation Enterprise performs an important social function, maintaining air connections under conditions where it would be unprofitable for commercial carriers to operate. Despite challenges – high costs, competition from ground transportation, aging fleet – the company continues its work thanks to state support and the loyalty of the local population, providing connectivity between the Kostroma Region and cities across Russia.