The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has confirmed that another new Il-96 series wide-body aircraft will soon be sent to a new customer and take to the skies. The aircraft is already in the final painting shop of the "Il" aircraft factory branch – VASO in Voronezh.
UAC did not name the modification or the customer of the aircraft, but it can be assumed that it is an Il-96-300 for the "Russia" Special Flight Detachment, which mainly operates such aircraft.
The Technosphere Russia publication reported that in Russia, only five Il-96-300 units have been built in the last 10 years, and no aircraft has taken to the air from the enterprise in the last two years.
Voronezh media wrote that VASO intends to expand the test runway. It is likely that the plans are related to deepening the Il-96 series production program.
The head of the RunAvia flight safety service, Andrey Patrakov, warned that the problem with long-haul aircraft in Russia has worsened. The production of Il-96 series aircraft will not greatly solve it, as it is piecemeal.