Russia's Long-Haul Aircraft Needs Unmet Despite New Engine Development

Russia needs about 100 long-haul aircraft in the coming years, but a new plane to replace the Il-96 is not even being considered. According to Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of Avia.ru, work is underway on the domestic PD-35 engine for such an aircraft.

The issue with long-haul aircraft is still open, but only 100 are needed. A re-engined version of the Il-96-400 could be an option, but the program for the new Il-96-400M has stalled in Russia. In August, the test aircraft did not even leave the hangar.

Airline experts say that Boeing and Airbus have already been chosen by most airlines, and 'Ilyusha' may not be of interest to them. A comparison by 'Pervy Tekhnichesky' showed that the Il-96-400M lost out to the Boeing 777-300ER in almost all parameters.