The wide-body cargo aircraft Il-96-400T of Sky Gates Airlines successfully completed a rare international flight from China on August 17. The aircraft with tail number RA-96103 landed at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Judging by the flight route, the crew performed a complex multi-leg flight connecting the industrial hub of the PRC with a Siberian hub and the capital of Russia.

Having departed from Shijiazhuang Zhengding Airport in China, the Il-96-400T proceeded through the airspace of China and Mongolia.

The aircraft made its first intermediate stop for refueling at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport. After that, the liner headed west, flying over Western Siberia, the Urals, and the Volga region, and finished in Moscow.

Characteristics of Il-96-400T:

• Maximum commercial payload — 92 tons
• Cruising speed — 850–870 km/h
• Flight range with full load — 5000 km
• Flight range with 40 tons load — 11,550 km

The "four hundred" modification differs from the basic passenger versions of the Il-96-300 by an extended fuselage and the presence of a special large side cargo door.

Despite its venerable age, the Il-96 series has not lost its potential for innovation. Aviation expert Roman Gusarov noted that equipping the aircraft with two PD-35 engines will breathe new life into the aircraft, but a change in the aircraft's design is necessary.