Russian presidential aircraft

Ilyushin Il-96-300PU landing at Vnukovo International Airport in June 2008.

The Russian presidential aircraft are aircraft of the Russian presidential fleet used by the President of Russia and other government officials. The presidential fleet is operated by Rossiya Airlines.

The main presidential aircraft is the four-engined, long-range, widebody Ilyushin Il-96-300PU, a highly modified Il-96, with the two last letters standing for "Command Point" in Russian. Five modified Il-96s have been used as presidential aircraft, the first one was used by the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin. In 2005, the second PUM aircraft was used by President Vladimir Putin. In 2010, the third president, Dmitry Medvedev, announced that he wanted to expand the presidential fleet with two more PUM1 aircraft, manufactured by the Voronezh Aircraft Plant. The aircraft were delivered in 2012 and 2014. Previously the president had used Ilyushin Il-62, Tupolev Tu-154, and Yakovlev Yak-40 aircraft. One more PUM1 (registration number RA-96022)^[1] was delivered in July 2016.

^ Vahtla, Aili, ed. (17 July 2018). "Two Russian aircraft violate Estonian airspace near Vaindloo island (1)". Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Postiimees pointed out that the aircraft registration number of the IL-96 which brought Putin to Helsinki for the Monday's summit was RA-96022, which matched that of the aircraft which real-time flight radar websites showed violating Estonian airspace.

[1] Vahtla, Aili, ed. (17 July 2018). "Two Russian aircraft violate Estonian airspace near Vaindloo island (1)". Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Postiimees pointed out that the aircraft registration number of the IL-96 which brought Putin to Helsinki for the Monday's summit was RA-96022, which matched that of the aircraft which real-time flight radar websites showed violating Estonian airspace.

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