I love the Ilyushin IL-96 (and IL-86). With the older Aeroflot livery, it looks all Russian. This video shows off the IL-96T, the freighter version, at the Moscow Airshow in 2005. She takes off, does a fly-by and then lands. Love the sound of her four Aviadvigatel PS90 Pratt & Whitney PW2337 turbofans.

Although many view the IL-96 as a less safe aircraft, no fatal accidents has ever occurred with the aircraft type (no passengers have died in the IL-86 either). I have never been able to fly on one, but it is on my to-do list. Have any of you been able to experience flying on an IL-96 or IL-86?

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & FOUNDER - SEATTLE, WA. David has written, consulted, and presented on multiple topics relating to airlines and travel since 2008. He has been quoted and written for a number of news organizations, including BBC, CNN, NBC News, Bloomberg, and others. He is passionate about sharing the complexities, the benefits, and the fun stuff of the airline business. Email me: david@airlinereporter.com

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By the Numbers, Flying is a lot Safer than Driving or Taking the Train
8 Comments

David,
Check the engines again. They are not Aviadvigatel PS90s, which are fitted on earlier versions of the IL-96, but rather Pratt & Whitney PW2337s. Who would have thought: a western engine on an east-bloc airframe?
Jim

Good catch! Didn’t realize the IL-96 went to P&W…that is awesome. Updated the blog.

David

Its a great aircraft. I have flown on TU154M and TU134B and YAK40 many times but did not a chance to fly the IL96. Seems great. -)

Never been on one, but I can remember being in the South sattelite at SEA when Aeroflot used to do service to and from Moscow. They used the IL-86, and when it arrived, you KNEW it was Aeroflot. It was much louder than anything else operating at that end of the airport, except during the short period of time when Magadan Airways served seattle with an IL-62. Holy crap, what noise!

Yes! I loved with Aeroflot served SEA. That was when you could still ride the train out to the S Satellite without having a ticket over there. I would go check it out quite a bit.

David

I was looking at the Aeroflot web page today, and it doesn’t include the I-96 as part of its fleet, though it does have the IL-86. I’ve seen that Putin uses a 96, but not sure where the rest of them went.

Well Wiki (which we all know to be 100% accurate) shows 6 IL-96’s. Amazing Aeroflot’s homepage now uses an A350 on top…heh.

Oh I am seeing on their website there are 6 Il-96’s still flying as well. http://www.aeroflot.com/cms/en/flight/plane_park

David

I saw this in Moscow, Szeremietievo, it’s very intersted show, when Iljuszyn 96 RA 96010 taking off (14-08-10)

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