An Il-96 wide-body airliner from the "Russia" special unit was spotted arriving at an airport in the United States. Valentin Bogdanov, head of the VGTRK bureau in New York, suggested that this is related to the continuation of diplomatic missions.
Bogdanov noted that against this background, various versions of the appearance of the Russian aircraft there are spreading.
It's simpler than that. Russian diplomats continuing to work in Washington, New York, and Houston need to somehow support their work, travel between countries, and so on.
The journalist emphasized that such official flights are organized precisely for this purpose.
The Il-96 remains the main "long-haul aircraft" of Russian state aviation. Aircraft of this family are used on routes, including to Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where high autonomy and resistance to weather factors are required.
Il-96 Characteristics:
- Cruising speed — 850–870 km/h
- Maximum speed — 900 km/h
- Flight range — up to 9000 km (with maximum load)
- Practical ceiling — 13,100 m
Despite its venerable age, the Il-96 series of aircraft remains promising for the introduction of innovations. Aviation expert Roman Gusarov noted that equipping the aircraft with two PD-35 engines will breathe new life into the aircraft, but this would require changes to the aircraft's design. There were even suggestions to convert it into a bomber instead of the Tu-95MS.