The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl, nicknamed Nastia in the USSR) is a twin-engined turboprop regional airliner and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986. It is the third member of the Antonov An-24 family, coming after the An-24 and An-30, while preceding the An-32 and cancelled An-132. The An-26 is still license-produced in China as the modern version of the Xi'an Y-7. Early versions of the Y-7 utilized the An-24 design.
The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl, nicknamed Nastia in the USSR) is a twin-engined turboprop regional airliner and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986. It is the third member of the Antonov An-24 family, coming after the An-24 and An-30, while preceding the An-32 and cancelled An-132. The An-26 is still license-produced in China as the modern version of the Xi'an Y-7. Early versions of the Y-7 utilized the An-24 design.
Development
While the An-24T tactical transport had proved successful in supporting Soviet troops in austere locations, its ventral loading hatch restricted the handling of cargo, and in particular vehicles, and made it less effective than hoped in parachuting men and supplies. As a result, interest in a version with a retractable cargo ramp increased, and the Antonov design bureau decided in 1966 to begin development on the new An-26 derivative, in advance of an official order. The cargo ramp was based on that design and allowed the cargo deck to be sealed and pressurised in flight. When loading cargo, it could either be lowered to allow vehicles to be driven in, or slid beneath the aircraft's fuselage, so that cargo could be loaded straight in off a truck bed. In March 1968, the OKB received official permission to begin development. Particular attention was given to the military mission, and the majority of early An-26 production was delivered to the VTA (voyenno-transportnaya aviatsiya).
Using the majority of the An-24 airframe, it has high-set cantilevered wings, wing-mounted twin Ivchenko AI-24 turboprops with a turbojet engine in the starboard nacelle for use as an auxiliary power unit and also for extra take-off thrust, plus long main undercarriage legs. The An-26 includes military equipment, such as tip-up paratroop canvas seats, an overhead traveling hoist, bulged observation windows and parachute static line attachment cables. It can be configured in 20–30 minutes from the troop transport or freight mission to the medical evacuation role with up to 24 stretchers fitted.
The An-26 made its public debut at the 27th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget where the second prototype, CCCP-26184 (c/n00202), was shown in the static aircraft park.
The An-26 is also manufactured without a license agreement in China by the Xian Aircraft factory as the Y-14, later changed to be included in the Xi'an Y-7 series.
Operational history
The An-26 has a secondary bomber role with underwing bomb racks. The racks are attached to the fuselage in front of and behind the rear landing gear. In the bombing role it was extensively used by the Vietnam People's Air Force during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War (by modifying the cargo bay with a bomb release system, allowing captured South Vietnamese Mark 82 bombs to roll out of the cargo bay) and Sudanese Air Force during the Second Sudanese Civil War and the War in Darfur. Russian Forces have also trained with the An-26 as a bomber. In 1977, the Afghan Air Force received the An-26 aircraft and in 1986, they had 36 of them which were used for airborne assaults conducted by the Afghan Army's commando and parachute battalions and two military transport squadrons.
One An-26 was involved in the Purulia Incident in 1995 in which arms were dropped in the Purulia district of West Bengal, India. The reason behind the drop is not disclosed to the public due to national security.
Operators
Military operators
National Air Force of Angola – 22 An-26s bought between 1976 and 1987. One aircraft still operational as of December 2021.
Belarusian Air Force – three operated December 2016.
Cape Verde Army – 3
Chad Air Force – three in service December 2016.
23 Xian Y-7; 4 Xian Y-7-100; includes all types of Y-7 aircraft
People's Liberation Army Air Force
People's Liberation Army Navy
Cuban Air Force – operated 17, two in service December 2016.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – three in service as of 2021.
Ethiopian Air Force – one
Ivory Coast Air Force – two in service as of 2021.
Kazakh Air Force – five An-24 or An-26 in service December 2015.; Received one refurbished An-26 from Ukraine on 3 November 2017.
Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – one in service December 2016.
Libyan Air Force – two An-24/An-26 as of December 2016.
Moldovan Air Force – one as of December 2016.
Mozambique Air Force – one as of December 2016.
Namibian Air Force – one as of December 2016.
Nicaraguan Air Force – four as of February 2018. Three were donated by Russia in February 2025.
Puntland Maritime Police Force – one
Romanian Air Force – one as of 2023
Russian Aerospace Forces – 104 as of December 2016.
Russian Naval Aviation
Border Guard Service of Russia
Serbian Air Force – one
Sudanese Air Force – six as of December 2016; at least one has been used as an improvised bomber
Military of Turkmenistan – one
Ukrainian Naval Aviation – two as of December 2016 in the service of 10th Naval Aviation Brigade
Ukrainian Air Force – around 22 as of 2017
Ukrainian Air Guard
Uzbek Air Force – four as of December 2016
Yemen Air Force – six
Former military operators
Afghan Air Force – Used until 1977, all remaining aircraft retired June 2011. One of their An-26 which defected to Pakistan, is preserved at PAF Museum, Karachi.
Bangladesh Air Force
Benin Air Force – two
Bulgarian Air Force – five used from 1984 until 2011
Royal Cambodian Air Force
Congolese Air Force – one
Czechoslovak Air Force
East German Air Force
German Air Force
Guinea-Bissau Air Force
Hungarian Air Force – 11 delivered from 1974, last one retired June 2020.
Iraqi Air Force
Lithuanian Air Force – three operated
Malagasy Air Force – two delivered in 1980
Malian Air Force – one
Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – four
Niger Air Force – one, bought from Libya in 1997
Yemen Arab Republic Air Force – one
Pakistani Air Force
Peruvian Air Force – 22 operated from 1977 to 1993
Polish Air Force – 12 operated from 1972 to January 2009; retired
Slovak Air Force – Two, retired in 2016, to be replaced by Alenia C-27J Spartan aircraft beginning in 2017.
Somali Air Corps
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Air Force – three bought in 1979
Serbian Air Force – one retired in 2023
Soviet Air Force – Passed on to successor states in 1991
Soviet Naval Aviation –
Syrian Air Force – Six as of 2023. As of late 2025, none listed by World Air Forces 2026.
Tanzanian Air Force – none; retired
Armed Forces of Transnistria
United States Air Force – Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron
Vietnam
Vietnam People's Air Force
Yugoslav Air Force – 14
Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – four
Civil operators
Genex (two)
Air Bright (one)
Sadelca (one)
Servicio Aéreo del Vaupés SELVA (three)
Aerogaviota (three)
Asia Cargo Airlines
SAS Cargo Group (one)
CityLine Hungary (four)
RAF-Avia (five)
Valan International Cargo Charter
Aero Condor (one)
Amazon Sky (two)
ATSA (one)
Cielos Andinos (two)
Interisland Airlines
Mosphil Aero
Exin (six)
Angara Airlines (three)
Chukotavia (three)
IrAero (ten)
Khabarovsk Airlines (three)
Kostroma Air Enterprise (four)
KrasAvia (four)
Polar Airlines (three)
Badr Airlines (one)
Tajik Air (one)
Aero-Charter Airlines (former) (three)
Air Urga (ten)
Antonov Airlines (former)
ARP 410 Airlines (five)
Constanta Airline (four)
Eleron Airlines (two)
Vulkan Air (three)
Solar Cargo (two)
*note: Lithuania was not a CIS country.
Accidents and incidents
1970s
23 May 1976: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26567) crashed short of the runway near Teply Klyuch Airport, Russia.
14 July 1977: A National Air Force of Angola An-26 was shot down by UNITA rebels near Cuangar; 30 people on board died.
18 August 1977: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26536) landed hard at Ust-Kuyga Airport due to pilot error; no casualties.
9 December 1978: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26547) lost control and crashed shortly after takeoff from Cherskiy Airport due to a shifted load; all seven on board died. The cargo had not been secured properly.
26 March 1979: Aeroflot Flight 37293, an An-26 (CCCP-26569), struck a wooded hillside near Baykit, Russia, four of 12 on board died.