The long-range Il-96-400M has resumed test flights in Zhukovsky after a pause of approximately six months. The first images of the aircraft have appeared on social media.
The previous flight of the test aircraft took place on October 15, 2025.
The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, previously stated that the Il-96-400M should expand the fleet of civil airliners and support the development of the route network.
However, aviation expert Roman Gusarov noted that the actual production rates remain low — the Voronezh Aviation Plant produces approximately one aircraft every two years.
According to him, the key problems are related to the high proportion of manual labor and the lack of full digitalization of the project.
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