On August 31, the long-haul Il-96-300 aircraft of the Special Flight Detachment "Russia" made a flight in international airspace. The airliner flew from Moscow to Bishkek.
It should be noted that the flight was not displayed on the Flightradar24 service in real time. Such aircraft usually fly with the transponder turned off or disable it when entering restricted areas. This is done for security reasons.
The distance from the Russian capital to Bishkek is about 3 thousand km. With an average cruising speed of 750 km/h, provided by PS-90A engines, the flight takes an average of 4-4.5 hours.
Il-96 Characteristics:
- Maximum speed — 900 km/h
- Cruising speed — 850–870 km/h
- Service ceiling — 13,100 m
- Flight range — up to 9000 km (with maximum load)
The Il-96 is a Soviet wide-body aircraft. Previously, "Perviy Tekhnicheskiy" explained why the Il-96 is not used in civil aviation, but is "tailored" specifically for transporting VIPs.