Russian corporation United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)’s subsidiary, Ilyushin, has completed the main assembly of the fuselage for the upcoming IL-96-300 passenger aircraft. Weighing 18 tons, the component has now exited the assembly line.
Yuriy Shestakov, head of aggregate assembly production at the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO), highlights the crucial role played by the assembly team, the stamping and forming division, and the mechanical assembly team in achieving this production pace. All major stages of unit assembly have been completed in just three months. The fuselage is expected to undergo off-stage work by the end of March before being transferred to the final assembly workshop.
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UAC plans to deliver additional IL-96-300 units for final assembly this year, aligning with the established plan. The company aims to maintain a production rate of two aircraft per year for this model. The overall goal is to manufacture 12 aircraft by 2030. While there are no plans to launch new units in 2024, production objectives outline a strategic progression: two aircraft in 2025, one in 2026, two in 2027, two in 2028, three in 2029, and two in 2030. These 12 aircraft are intended to be leased to Russian airlines.
The Ilyushin IL-96-300 is the launch variant of the IL-96 family. It is a long-range, wide-body commercial quadjet designed and initially manufactured in the former Soviet Union. Its maiden flight took place on September 28, 1988, and on December 29, 1992, the first unit was delivered to the Russian carrier Aeroflot. It can cover a distance of 10,500 km while carrying 262 passengers in a two-class configuration.
