Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which planned to build a four-engine Ilyushin with a capacity of 400 passengers, abandoned the idea after no airline showed interest in the passenger aircraft model.
A couple of decades ago, a four-engine plane meant power, safety and confidence in capturing the market, but nowadays it is seen as an old-fashioned idea.
Governments and airlines’ efforts to reduce carbon emissions have put an end to four-engine models, from the giant A380 and B747 to the A340 or the older B707 and B727.
That’s why UAC has decided to abandon the mass production of the IL-96-400, a four-engine, two-pass aircraft that sought to break into a market dominated by Boeing and Airbus.
Russian media were so enthusiastic about the project and its capabilities that they called Ilyushin a Boeing killer, according to Aerotime, but no airline was interested in acquiring it.
More than 400 passengers
The IL-96-400 is a longer and updated version of the IL-96-300, a passenger aircraft that has been in production since 1993.
As the name implies, the new model has been adjusted to carry up to 402 passengers in one class.
The maximum mileage would be 8,750 km, although Russian engineers were also considering increasing productivity so that it could fly up to 10,000 km. However, these figures are less than 16,300 km for the Airbus A350 and 14,700 km for the Boeing 777ER.
Another point against the Russian model compared to the largest manufacturers was the fact that the future Ilyushin would need three crew members on the flight deck.
Two single planes
Despite the fact that the project was stopped, it does not mean that it was completely abandoned. According to Russian media, there are two models that will be finalized and delivered to Russia, and will be used for the flight of high-ranking government officials.
There was also a variant of the model, designed as a cargo plane, IL-96-400T, which shares much of its technology with the passenger model.
The development of the IL-96-400 was a longer process than expected. The first steps were taken in 2015, but delays ended the project.
At the time when there was a prospect of completing the aircraft and test flights (scheduled for 2023), the world has already changed its mind about these types of aircraft: now no airline is interested in having a heavier aircraft that pollutes more and can not fly as much as competitors.