IL-96-400 will allow Russian aircraft to return to the domestic market

According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's Il-96-400 passenger airliner will allow Russian planes to win back the country's domestic air transportation market.

Russia's Il-96-400 passenger airliner, manufactured by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO), will allow Russian planes to win back the country's domestic air transportation market, which is currently dominated by planes manufactured by Boeing and Airbus, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Saturday.

"The Il-96-400 plane will become a very important milestone in returning the market of domestic air transportation, including the wide-body segment… And we will do it, because we rely on that unique experience, on those traditions, on that dedication to business that has always characterized the Voronezh aircraft manufacturers," Rogozin said in Voronezh at an event marking the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the aviation plant.

Rogozin also noted that work related to the forthcoming tests of the Il-112V light military transport aircraft, which is expected to replace the fleet of Russia's aging Antonov An-26 planes, is ongoing.

The Il-96-400 is a larger modification of the Russian-made long-haul wide-fuselage passenger airliner Il-96-300, which can carry up to 300 people.

The new plane has four powerful engines and advanced avionics. It weighs 270 tonnes and has a maximum flight range of 7,500 miles.