United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has shown photos of the latest Il-96 aircraft with an extended fuselage — Il-96-400M. The images were taken during the rollout of the airliner at the Voronezh Aviation Plant.
The aircraft is painted in a new livery in the corporate style of UAC. The aircraft is equipped with modern Russian avionics, including a new avionics suite, and the extended fuselage makes the aircraft more spacious and attractive to operators.
The first flight of the Il-96-400M has been postponed more than once. For example, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Oleg Bocharov previously said that the first flight of the updated aircraft would take place in 2022. Now UAC has not disclosed the date of the first flight, but said that the aircraft is preparing for it. The Il-96-400M was supposed to be shown this year at the MAKS-2023 air show in July, but the event was canceled.
The Il-96-400M is not included in the comprehensive program for the development of the Russian air transport industry, but the program provides for the supply of 12 Il-96-300s from 2025.