RuAviation

The Russian aerospace forces (VKS) received the sixth Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft at the end of December. They were built in 2024 at the Aviastar aircraft factory in Ulyanovsk. It had been previously planned to reach a production rate of at least 12 aircraft per year in 2024.

According to the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST, @bmpd), the aircraft has the serial number 0404 and the registration number RF-78679. Its maiden flight took place in December. Overall, this is the 30th Il-76MD-90A aircraft built, including the prototype.

Earlier in 2024, the Aviastar branch of PJSC Il in Ulyanovsk delivered five Il-76MD-90A aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defence:

• s/n 0309, RF-78674 – performed its maiden flight in Ulyanovsk on 17th May 2024, delivered in July 2024.
• s/n 0310, RF-78675 – maiden flight on 9th July 2024, delivered in August 2024.
• s/n 0401, RF-78676 – maiden flight on 2nd August 2024, delivered in September 2024.
• s/n 0402, RF-78677 – maiden flight on 2nd October 2024, delivered in October 2024.
• s/n 0403, RF-78678 – maiden flight on 9th November 2024, delivered in November 2024.

Therefore, in total, the Aviastar factory delivered six Il-76MD-90A aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defence in 2024, despite previously published reports stating an annual plan of eight aircraft.

In 2023, the factory also delivered six of these aircraft, five in 2022, two in 2021, three in 2020 (which were actually delivered to the VKS in January 2021), and three Il-76-MD-90A aircraft in 2019, two of which were actually built in 2018.