Editing Antonov An-2 (section)

=== Civil aviation ===
[[File:An-2 plane spraying wheat crops.jpg|thumb|An-2 sprays pesticide on wheat crops during [[List of coalition military operations of the Iraq War#2006|Operation Barnstormer]] (May 2006).]]
Over the years, dozens of nations and companies have employed the An-2 in civil roles. The type was heavily used throughout the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[Eastern Bloc]] nations. In particular, the Russian airline [[Aeroflot]] operated a large number of them. The An-2 was used as a short-range airliner, and in [[Estonia]], made regular flights between the towns of [[Kuressaare]] and [[Kärdla]], which are on separate islands, [[Saaremaa]] and [[Hiiumaa]].{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, most airlines in these regions have been retiring their An-2s, as some were over 40 years old, as well as a result of the decline in the production of [[avgas]] to fuel the type.<ref name=harp/> Private operators are still using An-2s, as they remain popular for some functions, such as for [[skydiving]].<ref name = "An-2"/><ref name=harp/>

High noise levels, maintenance costs and fuel consumption<ref name=harp/> has rendered them obsolete for the majority of commercial routes in Europe, but the large number available mean that unit prices are low in comparison to alternatives (as little as US$30,000 for a serviceable example). Price has made them attractive in the [[developing world]], where their abilities makes them an asset to airlines on a budget. Many ex-Aeroflot An-2s have found work with regional operators across [[Africa]], [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]], [[Cuba]] and southeast [[Asia]].<ref name = "An-2"/>

As of 2015, there were thousands of An-2s in operation around the world, including over 1,500 in Russia, 294 in [[Kazakhstan]] and 54 in [[Ukraine]].<ref name="усовершенствованные кукурузники" />

In September 2024, [[Vladimir Putin]] ordered the [[UZGA LMS-901 Baikal]] aircraft into production as a replacement.<ref name=Baikal>{{cite web|url= https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-orders-baikal-planes-into-production-to-replace-an-2/ar-AA1qBTqg?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=56291787bd3a4d9fc268c8b549555032&ei=78 |title= Putin orders Baikal planes into production to replace An-2 |publisher=RBC Ukraine, September 15, 2024|accessdate=September 15, 2024}}</ref>  However, certification of that aircraft's [[Klimov VK-800|Klimov VK-800SM]] engine is not expected until 2025, with engine deliveries not starting until 2026.<ref name=Baikal/>