---
title: "Il-96: specifications and range — OnlyPlanes"
description: "Il-96 (Il-96-300): up to 300 passengers; range 8,400 km with maximum commercial load. Characteristics, engines and interior."
canonical_url: "https://onlyplanes.ru/en/aircraft/il-96"
locale: en
meta:
keywords: "Il-96, Il-96 characteristics, Il-96 range, Il-96 capacity, four-engine wide-body aircraft"
"og:description": "Il-96 (Il-96-300): up to 300 passengers; range 8,400 km with maximum commercial load. Characteristics, engines and interior."
"og:image": "https://onlyplanes.ru/images/aviation/aircraft/boeing-787.webp"
"og:title": "Il-96 - characteristics of the aircraft"
---
> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://onlyplanes.ru/llms.txt)
Russia · four-engine wide-body aircraft
# Il-96Il-96
Russian wide-body long-haul aircraft. It develops the concept of the Il-86, but has a new wing, a modern cockpit and an increased range.
- Speed
- 850–870 km/h
- Range
- 8,400 km with maximum commercial payload
- Capacity
- up to 300 passengers
*Il-96 is a photograph from the open aviation archive.*
## Specifications Il-96
The figures in this table refer to one specific variant — **Il-96-300**. This avoids combining the range, capacity and dimensions of different versions into an inaccurate set of figures.
- Variant shown in the table
- Il-96-300
- Type
- four-engine wide-body aircraft
- Family's first flight
- Year 1988
- Passenger capacity
- up to 300 passengers
- Flight range
- 8,400 km with maximum commercial payload
- Cruising Speed
- 850–870 km/h
- Length
- 55,345 m
- Wingspan
- 60,105 m
How the aircraft came about
## History Il-96
The first Il-96-300 flight took place in 1988. The aircraft were used on passenger lines and continue to serve in special government units.
Il-96 was developed based on the experience of the wide-body Il-86 for longer routes. The new aircraft received a different wing, engines and equipment. The first flight took place in 1988, passenger transportation began in the 1990s. The issue remained small, and part of the aircraft was used for public transportation.
Milestones and decisions
## Programme development
The Il-96 developed the Il-86 wide-body platform, but was designed for longer-range flights. The new wing and four PS-90A engines distinguished it from its predecessor. After the start of commercial operation, the release remained small; later, the extended Il-96-400 and special options appeared. The similarity of the overall silhouette does not mean the same length of the cabin, mass and purpose of all versions.
Model features
## Design and variants
The Il-96 has two aisles in the cabin and four engines under the wing. Compared to the Il-86, the combination of a new wing, the PS-90A and an increased fuel supply allowed longer flights. The four-engine scheme and the size of the cabin determine a different operating profile than that of modern long-range twin-engine airliners.
The passenger Il-96-300 became the main serial version. The lengthened Il-96-400 and special state versions have different sizes, equipment and tasks. The numbers for the Il-96-300 in the table do not describe automatically elongated or special sides.
Powerplant
## Engines
Four Russian PS-90A turbofan engines.
The engine variant fitted to an individual aircraft is recorded in its documentation. The powerplant affects thrust, fuel consumption, noise and maintenance requirements.
On board
## Cabin and passenger capacity
Two aisles and a wide passenger deck. A typical economic scheme is 3+3+3, multi-class special interiors are possible.
Passenger capacity is up to 300 passengers. The exact number of seats is determined by the operator: business class, kitchens, toilets and recreation areas of the crew take place. Therefore, the layout of the cabin differs even with the same models.
In practice
## Operations and uses
The Il-96 was used for international passenger flights, and then special state vehicles received a significant role. The four-engine scheme affects the maintenance and fuel consumption differently than that of modern twin-engine long-range liners. When discussing the current fleet, it is important to distinguish between regular passenger flights and special-purpose transportation: they have different requirements for the interior and equipment.
Technical analysis
## How it works Il-96
The Il-96 grew out of the Il-86 experience, but it was created as a longer-range wide-body aircraft. The new wing, PS-90A engines and increased fuel supply were needed for a different route task. The first flight took place in 1988. Four engines determine not only the appearance: when preparing the flight and maintenance, four power plants are taken into account, their consumption and condition.
The passenger Il-96-300 has two aisles and a spacious cabin for a long flight. The elongated Il-96-400 differs in length, weight and layout capabilities. For special state options, communication facilities, work areas and other equipment are added. Even if such aircraft retain a common glider, their passenger capacity and payload are different from the usual liner.
In the era of the appearance of the Il-96, the four-engine scheme was a common way to provide long-haul flights of a large aircraft. Later development of engines and operating rules allowed twin-engine liners to serve many of the same destinations. Comparing them by one digit of range is not enough: the cost, the cost of maintenance, the size of the cabin and loading are important. The Il-96 represents the technical approach of its generation.
History and operations
## Role Il-96 in airline service
The Il-96 operated regular international passenger flights, but the overall fleet remained small. For an airline, a large aircraft is justified when a sufficient number of passengers and baggage helps cover the cost of the flight. After the reduction of regular use, a special role was given to state and special boards. These are different forms of operation with different requirements for the cabin, reliability and preparation of the flight.
On a long-haul flight, passengers spend many hours in a two-pass cabin, so the layout of the kitchen, toilets and crew rest areas matters. The maximum number of seats rarely coincides with the real multi-class scheme. On a special car, part of the passenger space is replaced with office space. Consequently, a photo of one Il-96 does not show how another aircraft of the same series is arranged.
The future of the family is often discussed in the context of Il-96-400 and individual new orders. But design statements, a assembled glider and a certified aircraft for a regular flight are different stages. To evaluate the program, it is useful to check the completed tests, the number of actually delivered boards and the purpose of each option. A small series makes it especially important to organize the service over the years.
Comparison of the Il-96-300 with the elongated Il-96-400 requires taking into account not only additional rows of seats. The length changes the mass, the capacity to accommodate passengers and cargo, as well as the service requirements at the airport. Special modifications may have their own communication and autonomous support systems. Therefore, one common capacity indicator for the whole family would mislead the reader: first you need to name a specific option and the purpose of the board.
On a regular long-haul flight, the four-engine car must cover fuel consumption and maintenance of four power plants. This does not mean that the aircraft is useless: the choice depends on the availability of alternatives, the maintenance of the fleet and the characteristics of a particular operator. At the state side, the commercial value of one seat is not the main criterion at all. The Il-96 shows how one aircraft platform continues to live in a different role after passenger operation has been reduced.
For comparison
## Location Il-96 among other aircraft
Russian models in the catalog belong to several independent tasks and generations. Tu-204, Tu-214 and Il-96 were created at the end of the Soviet period and later used in passenger and special aviation. Regional Il-114 chose a turboprop scheme. The Superjet 100 became a later jet program for relatively short routes, and the SJ-100 continues it with a changed system composition and engine. MC-21 belongs to the class of new medium-haul airliners. These programs can not be combined into one line of characteristics: they differ in the size of the cabin, role, engines and degree of readiness. Yak-130 generally refers to the military training of pilots and requires a separate approach to comparison.
In the history of each program, you need to distinguish between the first flight, certificate, the beginning of serial production and a real passenger flight. These events can be separated by years. For the updated version of the test of the original aircraft does not automatically prove the readiness of new engines and systems. This approach is especially important when reading information about the MC-21, SJ-100 and Il-114-300: the timing of deliveries was repeatedly announced in advance, and the technical stages must be evaluated according to the inspections actually performed. For older types, the exact modification and purpose of the board is more important - the passenger Tu-214 or Il-96 differs from a special aircraft on a close platform. Even when size fits the route, an airline needs sustainable service and spare parts availability.
The Il-96 was designed for long-haul passenger flights with a wide cabin and four engines. With the development of long-range twin-engine airliners, the economic role of such a scheme changed, but individual aircraft continued to serve, including in special configurations. Il-96-300 and later projects with an extended fuselage differ in size and expected payload. When describing the type, it is important not to attribute to the serial aircraft the design parameters of the version that has not yet become an ordinary passenger car.
Where it flies
## Airline operators
Examples of current or historically notable operators of the model and its variants:
- Special Flight Unit Rossiya
- Cubana - historically
Fleets change. Check the aircraft type and seat map on the airline's official website before your flight.
Updates
## News Il-96 on Telegram
New deliveries, routes and events with the participation of Il-96 are published in the Telegram channel at legkoenebo.
[Open the Telegram channel](https://t.me/legkoenebo)
```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Il-96: characteristics and history","description":"Il-96 (Il-96-300): up to 300 passengers; range 8,400 km with maximum commercial load. Characteristics, engines and interior.","mainEntityOfPage":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en/aircraft/il-96","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"OnlyPlanes","url":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en"},"about":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Il-96"}}
```
```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#website","@type":"WebSite","description":"News, stories and rare images from the world of aviation","inLanguage":"en-GB","name":"OnlyPlanes","url":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en","publisher":{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#identity"},"translationOfWork":{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#website"}},{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en/aircraft/il-96#webpage","@type":"WebPage","description":"Il-96 (Il-96-300): up to 300 passengers; range 8,400 km with maximum commercial load. Characteristics, engines and interior.","name":"Il-96: specifications and range","url":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en/aircraft/il-96","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#website"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://onlyplanes.ru/aircraft/il-96"]}],"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#logo"}},{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#identity","@type":"Organization","name":"OnlyPlanes","url":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en","logo":{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#logo"},"sameAs":["https://t.me/legkoenebo"]},{"@id":"https://onlyplanes.ru/en#logo","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"OnlyPlanes","contentUrl":"https://onlyplanes.ru/search-logo.png","inLanguage":"en-GB","url":"https://onlyplanes.ru/search-logo.png"}]}
```
## Sitemap
See the full [sitemap](https://onlyplanes.ru/sitemap.md) for all pages.