Red Wings Airlines recently added an airworthy Il-96-400T cargo aircraft to its fleet, bearing the tail number RA-96103. The procurement was reported by RBC, citing unnamed sources familiar with the transaction. The delivery marks the first unit of an 11-aircraft restoration program that United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) assigned to reintegrate into civilian service in 2022.
According to a RBC source, the aircraft was handed over to the operator two weeks prior to the report. The plan is for Sky Gates Airlines to operate the plane as the primary carrier and to oversee its ongoing maintenance. Red Wings had taken control of Sky Gates earlier in the year, and a representative from the leasing partner Ilyushin Finance Company, which is part of UAC, confirmed that the transfer activities were already in motion.
Industry tracking platforms indicate that RA-96103 was manufactured by Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Manufacturing Company (VASO) in 2009. The jet completed its first flight in September of that year. Its history includes a period of service with Polet Airlines, a carrier that ceased operations in 2013. Current operator listings show Sky Gates as the active operator, with flight activity resuming in August 2023 according to the operator’s public information.
In related aviation updates, there have been prior safety and compliance signaling from Russian authorities regarding Pobeda Airlines, underscoring a broader context of fleet modernization and regulatory oversight within the region. [Cited: RBC] [Cited: Russianplanes.net] [Cited: Ilyushin Finance] [Cited: Sky Gates Airlines]