IATA YK4ICAO YK40

Yakovlev Yak-40

Yakovlev

TravelerPulse profile

Soviet short-haul trijet serving regional routes for decades.

First flight

1966

Category

Regional jet

Seating

27–32 passengers

Range

1,800 km

Engines

Three rear-mounted Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan engines

Status

In service (limited)

The Yakovlev Yak-40 is a small Soviet-era regional jet aircraft developed by the Yakovlev design bureau in the 1960s. It was designed to replace piston-engined aircraft on short regional routes, capable of operating from unprepared or grass airstrips in remote areas of the Soviet Union. Entering service with Aeroflot in 1968, it became one of the most widely produced jet aircraft in the Soviet Union, with over 1,000 built at the Saratov Aviation Plant. The aircraft features a distinctive three-engine rear-mounted configuration and a built-in airstair for operations at airports without ground equipment. While largely retired from major carriers, the Yak-40 remains in limited service with smaller operators and government fleets in Russia, Central Asia, and parts of Africa and Eastern Europe.

Notable operators

Aeroflot was the primary operator; smaller regional carriers in Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia also operated the type.

Notable facts

›First Soviet jet aircraft certified to Western airworthiness standards for export.
›Over 1,000 aircraft were produced between 1966 and 1981.
›Features a built-in ventral airstair for independent ground operations.
›Designed to operate from short, unprepared grass or gravel airstrips.
›Exported to over 18 countries including Italy, West Germany, and Afghanistan.