MAKS-2026 canceled. Flyby continues...
The MAKS-2026 air show has been cancelled and postponed once again. It's entirely understandable. I'm sure no one is particularly surprised by this decision, but if you look at the cause and effect, there are several significant differences.
When Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order in 2025 to hold MAKS in July-August 2026 and 2027, many air show fans already suspected that the "shift to the right" that had become commonplace in our country would continue. There were too many pros and too few cons.
MAKS has not been held since 2021. It was cancelled in 2022, and in 2023, the event was postponed to a later date—July 23–28, 2024. In 2024, the air show was cancelled, then postponed to 2025, and so on, until 2027.
Moreover, 2027 is also not an option. MAKS is planned to be held not in Zhukovsky, as usual, but in Kazan. And Gidroaviasalon will be moved to Gelendzhik.
This is also a rather poor decision, since neither Kazan nor Gelendzhik guarantee security from the actions of the Ukrainians. dronesBut it's not just that, oddly enough. While the Tupolev capital of Kazan is more or less suitable as a venue for a show of this caliber, Gelendzhik in the height of the summer season is downright stupid.
After all, some time ago, MAKS was the largest aviation exhibition not only in Russia but also in all of Eastern Europe, with hundreds of thousands of visitors attracted by both the latest aircraft and performances by the best aerobatic teams. And not just ours.
The air show was first held in 1993. It was, of course, a breakthrough event. The Su-35 and Ka-50 were the headliners. In the civilian sector, the cargo versions of the Tu-204, Il-96M, and An-74T were premieres.
This set was more than enough for MAKS to establish itself as a serious event.
Around 150 aircraft were on display at MAKS-1995. The public debut included the Il-76MF with PS-90A engines, the Tu-334 medium-range passenger jet, the advanced Ka-62 multirole helicopter, and the Ka-226 multirole helicopter.
The MAKS-1997 air show was remembered by spectators for the first demonstration of the Raduga D2 hypersonic flying laboratory based on aviation missiles The second new development was a prototype of the Kh-90 cruise missile. Among the helicopter achievements, the audience was shown a prototype of the Aktai ultralight helicopter, manufactured by the Kazan Helicopter Plant.
The highlight of the MAKS-1999 air show was the experimental S-37 Berkut fighter.
The forward-swept-wing aircraft immediately attracted public interest, becoming a major attraction at the air show, and, needless to say, it is still occasionally mentioned in publications today.
And then the landing glide began.
MAKS-2001 was truly international: 537 companies from 34 countries attended. A total of about 150 aircraft models were on display during the exhibition, but this time there were no new models. The Berkut was once again the main exhibit, but its designation had changed from the S-37 to the Su-47.
MAKS-2003. Once again, no new products, but a huge array of foreign technology. Over 60 foreign-made aircraft were on display, and the air show was truly spectacular. In addition to the Russian Knights and Swifts, the Patrouille de France (France) and Frecce Tricolori (Italy) aerobatic teams also performed.
MAKS-2005. There were some new products, but… We never saw the An-148 short-range aircraft in action, and the mockup of the Clipper manned spacecraft remained just that, a mockup. So the only real innovation was the Ansat-2RC multi-purpose light helicopter (reconnaissance and target designator), which, for better or worse, eventually went into production and even acquired a domestically produced VK-800 engine.
The Clipper that never became a ship
MAKS-2007. The S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, the short-range Sukhoi Superjet 100, and the new Su-34 bomber were shown for the first time.
Not only did MAKS-2009 lack any new products, but the exhibition was also marred by a tragedy that occurred the day before the opening. Igor Tkachenko, commander of the Russian Knights aerobatic team, died while preparing for the air show.
MAKS-2011. The tenth anniversary air show once again set a record for the number of participants. 842 companies attended the exhibition, including 220 international companies from 40 countries. The main new product was the Russian fifth-generation T-50 fighter.
MAKS-2013. The Yak-130 combat trainer, the Tu-214ON aerial surveillance aircraft, and the Mi-171A2 civilian transport helicopter were shown for the first time.
MAKS-2015. The main new arrival was the SuperJet 100. In addition, the Airbus A350 also took part in MAKS for the first time.
MAKS-2017. 827 companies from 33 countries participated. The MiG-35 multirole frontline fighter, the MS-21 short- and medium-range aircraft, and the experimental prototype of the Mi-171A2 medium-class multirole helicopter were on display.
MAKS-2019 brought together 827 participants from 33 countries, including 184 international companies. The CR929, a joint Chinese-Russian project, debuted at the air show.
The final show featured a prototype of the medium-range MS-21-300 aircraft, a medium-range Mi-38 helicopter, and fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jets taking to the skies over Zhukovsky.
MAKS-2021. Of course, the pandemic ruined it. Only 135 participants attended the six-day event. Premieres included the Su-75 prototype, the MS-21-310 airliner with domestic PD-14 engines, and a mockup of the heavy attack aircraft. drone S-70 "Hunter".
And that's it story The MAKS air show has been stopped or paused for now.
In an interview with Daily Storm in 2024, Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of Avia.ru, and Oleg Panteleev, executive director of the Aviaport agency, stated that MAKS could take place after the conclusion of the SVO. The experts concluded that, under the current circumstances, the event is not urgently needed for either industrialists or the general public.
And if the experts were wrong to sign for the viewers, then the industry really has nothing to brag about.
Why do they hold such events at all? Clearly, to showcase themselves and to see others. The point of any air show is to showcase new products aimed at potential buyers. If they don't have their own new products, then foreign companies will be competing for customers.
The series of postponements, despite assurances from Rostec State Corporation (whose representatives stated that all signed participation agreements remained valid until the next airshow), will have a most negative impact. In theory, because in practice, participation by foreign manufacturers from Europe and the Americas is highly questionable after 2022. This represents approximately 80% of the world's aircraft manufacturers.
Our guys don't have much to show. If you look at the list of MAKS premieres, everything is more or less fine in the military sector, but in the civilian sector...
Tu-204, Tu-334, An-74, An-146, Il-112V, SSJ-100, MS-21—they either don't exist at all, or are more likely to exist than not. And then there are military aviation shows and exhibitions, where representatives from ministries and agencies come specifically to select and conclude contracts for the supply of specific products.
And, perhaps, the most pressing question: will MAKS take place in 2027?
The exhibition's fate will likely once again depend on the situation in the country. In other words, no, it won't happen. And what might happen can only be described as a dismal show.
Can our Rostec exhibit new products? No. Old, Soviet-era aircraft can't be mass-produced here, so what new products are we talking about?
It's scary to even imagine what's going on inside Roscosmos. Compared to our former space agency, Rostec is doing quite well; at least they're fulfilling their state defense orders, producing military equipment, and sending it to the front. Meanwhile, in the space industry, all one could imagine are mockups and blueprints like the Mars and Venus projects.
The whole problem is that you can only display your own military equipment at home when people come to see it and buy it. And in China, it must be said, ours presented ours very well, and the whole world took note. And in Abu Dhabi, everything was also at a good level.
But there was plenty to see in Saudi Arabia and China without us. The entire world flocked there, but who would fly and travel to Russia to participate in MAKS was a question mark. A country at war, with half its territory under attack, is not the best place for an exhibition.
Boeing won't be coming. Airbus won't be coming. Dozens of companies working with these giants won't be coming. And they don't have anything of their own to show.
The problem isn't just security, although security is a major issue. Kyiv's attacks on St. Petersburg and Kronstadt during the SPIEF highlighted this very clearly. The problem is that it's harder to show everything because there's nothing to show.
Russian civil aviation is living under a regime of total sanctions, a failed import substitution program, and promises of "it'll be flying soon, just a little more time and a little more money." But in reality, it can't even taxi to the runway, let alone take off.
Overall, it's a shame, of course. MAKS was a truly wonderful air show, beautifully and intelligently conducted. "Intelligent" isn't like the now-defunct "ARMY-..." forum, where developers were pressured into participating in every possible way and weren't always asked whether they wanted to. You'd better prepare at least four new developments for the next forum, otherwise we guarantee a shower of stars. This is something people from the Zhukovsky and Gagarin Academy once complained about.
But MAKS wasn't run by the military, so things were a bit more relaxed; every two years, it was possible to find the right exhibit. How was MAKS conceived back in 1992? As a symbol of a powerful aerospace nation with something to show the world. And selling it was also a significant factor. I'd say it was a showcase for two giants—the aviation and space industries, capable of solving a wide variety of problems, from training aircraft for budding cadets to reusable spacecraft.
Today, alas, the Russian system is trying its best to portray itself as an "aviation and space" power, but the showcase is completely empty, and there is nothing to fill it with except mock-ups.
Russia flies patched-up Boeings and Airbuses, with no chance of switching to Tupolevs, Yakovlevs, or Ilyushins. Satellites and ships are launched into space on rockets created by the cohort of the great Korolev's great allies, and the ships themselves were created by the same people. And all these Clippers, Argos, Orlys, and Federations are roughly in the same league as civil aviation.
What can we say if there's nothing to replace the hard-working An-2, and a great aviation country lacks the capabilities, then what can we say about replacing the cohort of aircraft built by the Antonov Design Bureau? The An-24, An-26, An-72, An-146, and so on down the list?
Because it's one thing to talk about technical, and most importantly, technological sovereignty on television, and quite another to demonstrate this sovereignty in metal at an international air show. Flying.
So, MAKS's latest postponement is simply a step toward history. When there's nothing to show, no one needs an air show. Aerobatic displays could easily be scheduled for Aviation Day.
What's left are cartoons, videos, and pictures. And everything for that already exists—there's such a thing as an online project called eMAKS (aviasalon.com). As they write there, eMAKS is primarily aimed at promoting domestic aviation, and since it (civil aviation) exists in the virtual world, it's a virtual air show for you.
And we'll still be buying tickets on Boeings and flying to the lands of our dreams. MAKS didn't make it...
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