United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has shown a photo of the latest Il-96 aircraft with an elongated fuselage - Il-96-400M. The images were taken during the airliner's rollout at the Voronezh aircraft plant.

The aircraft is painted in a new livery in the UAC's corporate style. The aircraft is equipped with modern Russian on-board radio-electronic equipment, including a new avionics suite, and an elongated fuselage makes the aircraft more capacious and attractive for operators.

The first flight of the Il-96-400M has been postponed several times. For example, the former deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Oleg Bocharov, said that the first flight of the upgraded liner will take place in 2022. UAC has not disclosed the date of the first flight, but announced that the airplane is being prepared for it. The Il-96-400M was supposed to be shown at the MAKS-2023 Airshow in July of this year, but the event was cancelled.

The Il-96-400M is not part of the comprehensive program for the development of the Russian aviation transport industry, but the program provides for the delivery of 12 Il-96-300s from 2025.