Air Kerala has been named as a prospective recipient of up to 20 Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprops in a wider India-Russia aviation package unveiled during the Innoprom.India business programme in New Delhi. The aircraft allocation forms part of a broader set of intent agreements involving up to 105 Il-114-300s across Air Kerala, Pinnacle Air and Sleek Aviation, although the Air Kerala element remains preliminary rather than a firm order.
Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry linked the turboprop discussions to regional aviation needs, with the 68-seat Il-114-300 pitched for short-haul services and operations from smaller airports. For Air Kerala, the aircraft could fit future domestic and regional flying, but the airline has not yet started operations and is still preparing a launch with leased ATR 72-600 aircraft.
The arrangement also highlights continued Russian interest in India’s regional aviation market at a time when Indian carriers face persistent delivery backlogs from Western manufacturers. No binding purchase agreement from Air Kerala has been confirmed in the clearest available reporting, and the current discussion remains at the level of letters of intent or similar preliminary terms.