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YakovlevRegional jetPartially retired

Yakovlev Yak-40 family

The Yak-40 story, from first flight to lasting reputation

The rugged three-engine regional jet designed to bring jet service to lightly equipped local airports.

Yakovlev Yak-40 family is a partially retired regional jet built by Yakovlev. It first flew in 1966, entered service in 1968, and went on to shape airline fleets, passenger journeys, and aviation memory.

First flight

1966

Service entry

1968

Seating band

27 to 32

Yakovlev Yak-40 family is a partially retired regional jet by Yakovlev, first flown in 1966 and introduced in 1968, with typical seating for 27 to 32 and range up to 970 nautical miles.

Regional coverage here treats route economics, cabin feel, airport practicality, and airline deployment as equally important parts of the aircraft’s identity.

Range band

970 nm

Notable operators

Aeroflot · CSA · LOT · regional and government operators

Source stack

  • Official manufacturer program pages
  • type certificate and airport planning data
  • operator configuration and fleet references

Variants

Representative variants

Manufacturer pageForum hubCompare families

Variant

Yak-40

Yak-40 is a partially retired member of the Yakovlev Yak-40 family, known for the standard passenger version that carried the family through decades of regional service.

Range 970 nm · Entry 1968

Specifications

Current public facts

Manufacturer
Yakovlev
Program history
Class
Regional jet
Aircraft category
First flight
1966-10-21
Program history
Service entry
1968-09-30
Operator records
Current status
Partially retired
Fleet references
Typical seating
27 to 32
Operator and cabin references
Range band
Up to 970 nm
Program literature
Cruise speed
297 kt
Planning data

Archive moments

Human context

The Yak-40 is remembered for its compact cabin, built-in stairs, and ability to operate where larger and faster jets were impractical.
These aircraft earn archive space when frequency, network fit, and cabin feel define how people actually remember regional flying.

Timeline

Program milestones

  1. 1966

    First flight

    The Yak-40 begins flight testing and establishes the public shape of the family.

  2. 1968

    Service entry

    The family enters passenger or executive service and begins building its operating footprint.

  3. Today

    Reduced but active

    Passenger or executive use continues in smaller numbers, making the family feel historical and current at the same time.

Related news

Editorial context

All news
No editorial dispatches are attached to this family yet. The aircraft record is live, and newsroom or archive coverage can be layered onto it later without changing the URL.

Forum threads

Community memory

Family hub