The Il-96 first took to the skies in 1988 and became the first Soviet wide-body long-haul airliner. Unlike the twin-engine Boeing 777 and Airbus A330, the aircraft was equipped with four PS-90A engines. However, over nearly four decades, only a few dozen machines of various modifications have been produced.
"Pervy Tekhnichesky" answers three main questions about Russia's largest passenger aircraft.
How many Il-96s have been built in total
According to open data, a total of 36 Il-96 aircraft of all modifications have been manufactured. This figure includes passenger Il-96-300s, cargo Il-96-400Ts, and the experimental new Il-96-400M family aircraft. Production at the Voronezh aircraft plant continues at an extremely slow pace.
The basic Il-96-300 is designed for a maximum of 300 passengers. Its length is 55.3 m, wingspan is 60.1 m, and maximum takeoff weight exceeds 250 tons. Four PS-90A engines each develop approximately 16 tons of thrust.
In commercial civil aviation, there is currently no permanent Russian operator of this type.
The reason is obvious: air travel is a big business where it's important to know how to count money. In its current state, the liner is simply unprofitable for regular flights.
How many Il-96s are left in Russia
The exact number depends on what is considered "remaining": aircraft in service, aircraft in storage, special aircraft, and new aircraft undergoing testing.
The most well-known Russian version is the Il-96-300PU, intended for the "Rossiya" Special Flight Detachment.
It is on aircraft of this family that long-haul special flights of the country's leadership are performed. In addition to passenger Il-96-300s, Russia also has cargo Il-96-400Ts and the experimental Il-96-400M.
In July 2026, new footage of two Il-96s during tests in Khabarovsk appeared. This showed that the aircraft production program has not been stopped, although it remains small-scale. The main customer for new aircraft so far remains the "Rossiya" Special Flight Detachment.
Which is larger – Il-96 or Boeing 777
The Boeing 777-300ER is noticeably larger than the Il-96-300. The Russian liner has a length of 55.3 m and a maximum takeoff weight of over 250 tons, while the 777-300ER reaches approximately 73.9 m and has a maximum takeoff weight of about 351.5 tons.
But the comparison becomes more interesting with the Il-96-400M. The extended version of the Russian aircraft received a fuselage length of about 63.9 m and a maximum takeoff weight of up to 270 tons. Passenger capacity is stated to be up to 370 people.
This means that the Il-96-400M is already comparable in length to some versions of the Boeing 777, but it is inferior to the 777-300ER in terms of weight and dimensions.
The average fuel consumption of the Boeing 777-300ER is about 2.5–2.7 liters of fuel per 100 km per passenger. The Il-96-300, due to its four-engine scheme, consumes about 3.3–3.7 liters per 100 km per passenger. As they say, the difference is obvious.
"Pervy Tekhnichesky" in a large article compared the two liners "head-to-head" — spoiler: the conclusions were not in favor of the "Ilyusha".