The aircraft of the country's top official is not just a passenger liner with an expensive interior. The aircraft must meet all safety requirements, be equipped with secure communications, effectively representing a fortress in the air.
"Pervy Tekhnichesky" tells which aircraft are used to transport President Vladimir Putin. We will also find out why the new import-substituted MC-21-310 is not yet among them.
Why the President flies on the Il-96
For long-haul flights, a special version of the Il-96-300 is used — the Il-96-300PU, where the abbreviation PU stands for "control point". The Special Flight Detachment "Russia" also has Tu-214 and other special aircraft in its fleet.
The basic aircraft has a length of 55.3 m, a wingspan of 60.1 m, a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 250 tons, and a power plant that includes 4 PS-90A engines with a thrust of about 16 tons each.
Four engines give the Il-96 an important advantage for a special aircraft. Even if one or even several engines fail, the aircraft retains the ability to continue flying.
The exact number of aircraft in the SLO's fleet is not reliably known. But it can be assumed that there are enough of them so that if one is out of service, a replacement can be found as soon as possible.
"Tushka" is still in service
If a visit to a region with small airfields is required, where the runway or taxiways are not designed for the huge 250-ton Il-96, a more compact Tu-214 is used. But in fact, this aircraft plays the role of a "second number" or a backup aircraft.
Modifications of the Tu-214PU (control point), Tu-214SR (relay aircraft), and Tu-214SUS (communication hub aircraft) have been created specifically for the president and the minister of defense in the SLO "Russia". They are packed with the same encrypted communication equipment as the main Il-96, and allow the country and troops to be controlled directly from the sky.
A well-known incident occurred in December 2017, when Putin flew to the Russian Khmeimim airbase in Syria on board a Tu-214SR, accompanied by Su-30SM fighters.
Why the MC-21 is not yet suitable
The new MC-21-310 is not yet in the fleet of top officials. As early as spring 2026, the aircraft began performing test flights, but this is clearly not enough for the SLO.
The MC-21 is more logical to consider as a future replacement for part of the Tu-214 and Tu-204-300 in tasks of transporting delegations and accompanying groups. However, it will not be able to replace the Il-96-300PU one-to-one: a completely different layout and a complex of special equipment will be required for the presidential aircraft.
This is an aircraft of a different level. First, it must prove its reliability in a regular airline, and only then can we talk about versions for a special flight detachment.