Drafted in 2023, the Russian comprehensive civil aviation development program plans for 994 civilian aircraft to be produced in Russia by 2030, together with 14 Il-96-300 aircraft. Though it is the biggest passenger aircraft created in Russia, the latest model, the Il-96-400, might not have a passenger variant. With four engines and a maximum takeoff weight of 250 tons, the Il-96-300 boasts a 55-meter-wide body. Its single-passenger deck boasts roughly 300 seats and a 9,000 km maximum range. Its top speed is 910 km/h; its cruise speed is 870 km/h.
Grand visions for the IL-96 came from the Soviet Union. In the 1990s, the development of the Il-96M sought to make the aircraft more roomy. The length of this variant grew to 64 meters, its maximum takeoff weight climbed to 270 tons, and its passenger capacity grew to 435 seats. Still, its range—with a full payload—remained at 9,000 km using more sophisticated American Pratt & Whitney PW2337 engines. Flying with fewer passengers, it could cover about 13,000 kilometers.
Whether running Russian or American engines, the Il-96 was in limited demand in the 1990s nonetheless. Western companies seized the Russian commercial aviation sector as the Soviet Union fell apart, and by the 2000s they were aggressively substituting foreign aircraft for Aeroflot’s fleet. Labeled “unprofitable,” the Il-96 suited the conventional notion that Western aircraft were better.
Russia tried to build the Il-96-400 in the 2000s; it had a payload capacity comparable to the Il-96M and could cover 13,000 km using Russian PS-90A1 engines. The potential next-generation NK-93 engine, which was ostensibly “nearly ready,” was also highly talked about.
By late 2023, the first, and so far only, Il-96-400M, was built, but it is not used for passenger operations. It is designed to carry up to 400 passengers over a distance of 10,000 km.
Designed to be a Russian equivalent of the A380, the Il-96-550 was among the most aspirational but unrealized designs. Envisioned as a 65-meter, double-deck aircraft with 550 seats and a range of up to 12,000 km, this “Il-96 on steroids,” as it might be dubbed today, was another variant featuring four PS-90A2 engines that was under consideration, but its range would have been just 9,000 km. These engines’ American components, however, finally doomed their manufacturing. Russia claims to have developed PS-90A3, a variant of PS-90A with all local components but of equivalent nature.
Let us contrast it with the Airbus A380 airplane. Mass-produced by European manufacturer Airbus from 2003 to 2021, with around 250 units built, it is the biggest passenger aircraft in the world. At least five airlines continue to operate these aircraft as of 2025; about half of them are part of Emirates, the United Arab Emirates carrier fleet. Rising to a maximum takeoff weight of 560 tons, the four-engine, 73-meter-long wide-body Airbus A380 has a range of 15,200 km and two passenger decks—usually set for 407–525 seats—showcase This European aviation behemoth has a maximum speed of 945 km/h and a cruise speed of 900 km/h. Comprising parts from the US and the EU, the A380’s price in 2017 was roughly $490 million per unit.
Designed during the relative stability of Western globalization at its height, the A380 is an exceptional airplane. It will keep flying in 2025 because it remains economically viable for airlines. Such undertakings are affordable for the globalized Western economy, even for aesthetic goals. More than half of the A380 fleet was sold to luxury-loving Asian markets during the golden years, allowing Airbus to recoup some of its investment.
By comparison, the IL-96-300 boasts shorter ranges and is more compact than the A380. Furthermore, Voronezh’s aircraft production plant can only produce one or two large planes annually.
The A380 was designed for global routes between Europe and Asia, Asia and the US, and Asia and Australia. But if Russia had built the Il-96-550 or something similar, it could have increased capacity on routes between Moscow and the Russian Far East. Although upscale production might not support such a project, government involvement can be helpful, as recent years under sanctions have demonstrated.
Russia also boasts possibilities for long-distance travel of its own. Though there are practically no Russian aircraft equipped to fly nonstop to destinations like Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, the possibility exists. Russia is progressively expanding its own worldwide interests, so if it wants to create significant travel hubs, it should start now with the development of its own long-haul aircraft.
Additionally, under consideration in 2019 was a big transport aircraft based on the Il-96—the Il-96-500T. Roscosmos, which needed an aircraft to deliver large cargo to spaceports, was its first possible client. Based on the current Il-96-400 cargo model, the aircraft will have a larger fuselage and be able to carry large goods, especially for delivery of Angara rocket components to the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Apart from the expanded upper part of the fuselage, the Il-96-500T stands out from previous variations of this model in its folding nose section, extra supports in the front half of the aircraft, and retractable cargo ramp. Flying with a commercial cargo of 80 tons, it can cover up to 4,360 km.
PJSC Ilyushin intended to produce sixteen of these aircraft overall between 2026 and 2034. The Russian Ministry of Defense would receive six aircraft, while Ilyushin Finance Co., a leasing corporation, could deliver the remaining six to commercial clients. Another four Il-96-500Ts were expected to be built for China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation (CRAIC), a former Russian-Chinese joint venture aiming to develop the wide-body aircraft CR929 and Roscosmos.
The aircraft manufacturer’s estimations indicate that the prototype aircraft will cost 30.3 billion rubles overall, including research and development, manufacturing preparation, testing, and certification. The serial Il-96-500T with five aircraft will cost 12 billion rubles; the payback period for commercial operation will be ten to twelve years; the project implementation is expected to take five to seven years. The project’s implementation remains uncertain.
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