In Kazan, at the Russian Venture Forum, a concept for the new Il-296 cargo aircraft with PD-35 engines was presented. However, neither the airliner itself nor the powerplant yet exists in finished form.
The Il-296 is conceived as a twin-engine version of the Il-96 with improved efficiency. It is expected to be able to compete with the Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 by reducing fuel consumption. But as of April 2026, the project remains at the visualization stage.
The PD-35 engine is also not ready for serial use. It is being developed as a high-thrust powerplant, but for now it exists only in prototype form and is undergoing testing.
Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov previously stated the need to create a domestic long-haul aircraft. The Il-96 family is being considered as the basis, which will require deep modernization.
According to aviation engineer Valery Ageev, the actual thrust of the PD-35 now is about 26 tons instead of the declared 35–40.