Another IL-76MD-90A military transport aircraft is handed over to the Russian Defence Ministry

Photo by © UAC

The aircraft underwent ground and flight tests in due time and the new aircraft joined the air regiment of military transport aviation, the UAC press service said.

The IL-76MD-90A was built from domestic component materials, the machine is equipped with PS-90A engines. The upgraded aircraft has improved its main characteristics compared to previous generations of heavy IL-76 aircraft. In particular, the range and maximum load have been increased, piloting and landing accuracy have been improved, and the quality of radio communications has been improved.

On the 4th of December 2022 at the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield the first flight of the IL-76MD-90A military transport aircraft built for the Russian Air Force was performed. The aircraft has a serial number 0302 and registration number 78667. This is the fifth IL-76MD-90A of the new build, which took off in 2022 and the 18th built IL-76MD-90A in total, including the prototype. The aircraft was rolled out of the shop on November 29, 2022.

“Today, Aviastar has several IL-76MD-90A transport aircraft in various degrees of readiness in its production program for 2023. The procurement workshops are laying the groundwork for the near future. The enterprise is undergoing large-scale technical re-equipment, the territory of the plant is being improved, the employees’ salaries are being increased”, UAC said.

PJSC Il’s branch Aviastar continues to increase its production capacity. At the end of summer 2019, an automated flow assembly line for Il-76MD-90A aircraft and its modifications was launched at the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk. Its technological testing was carried out on the first three aircraft – serial numbers 0206, 0207 and 0208. By 2024, the plant plans to reach an assembly capacity of 12 aircraft IL-76MD-90A a year.

The company continues to recruit staff to support the increased production volumes. Apprenticeship training for the most demanded working professions is organised at the training centre of the enterprise. This year the plant plans to increase the staff by more than 1,300 people, mainly due to the main production workers. Since the beginning of the year, about 570 people have already been hired. The most in-demand professions are riveter, program-controlled machine operator, mechanical assembly fitter, turner, milling operator and fitter for manufacturing and finishing of aircraft parts.