Il-76
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The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76;
NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform manne ...
: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine
turbofan The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which ac ...
strategic airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distance ...
er designed by the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
's
Ilyushin The public joint stock company Ilyushin Aviation Complex, operating as Ilyushin (russian: Илью́шин) or as Ilyushin Design Bureau, is a former Soviet and now a Russian aircraft manufacturer and design bureau, founded in 1933 by Sergey Vl ...
design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967, as a replacement for the
Antonov An-12 The Antonov An-12 (Russian: Антонов Ан-12; NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10 and has many variants. For more than thr ...
. It was designed to deliver heavy machinery to remote, poorly served areas. Military versions of the Il-76 have been widely used in Europe, Asia and Africa, including use as an
aerial refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...
tanker or command center. The Il-76 has seen extensive service as a commercial freighter for ramp-delivered cargo, especially for outsized or heavy items unable to be otherwise carried. It has also been used as an emergency response transport for civilian evacuations as well as for humanitarian aid and disaster relief around the world. Due to its ability to operate from unpaved runways, it has been useful in undeveloped areas. Specialized models have also been produced for aerial firefighting and zero-G training.


Design and development


Origins

The aircraft was first conceived by
Ilyushin The public joint stock company Ilyushin Aviation Complex, operating as Ilyushin (russian: Илью́шин) or as Ilyushin Design Bureau, is a former Soviet and now a Russian aircraft manufacturer and design bureau, founded in 1933 by Sergey Vl ...
in 1967 to meet a requirement for a freighter able to carry a payload of over a range of in less than six hours, able to operate from short and unprepared airstrips, and capable of coping with the worst weather conditions likely to be experienced in Siberia and the Soviet Union's Arctic regions. It was intended to replace the
Antonov An-12 The Antonov An-12 (Russian: Антонов Ан-12; NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10 and has many variants. For more than thr ...
. Another intended version was a double-decked 250-passenger airliner but that project was cancelled. The Il-76 first flew in . Production of Il-76s was allocated to the
Tashkent Aviation Production Association , type = Open joint-stock company , location = , industry = , founded = , founder = , fate = Taken over in 2015 , hq_location_city = Tashkent , hq_location_country = Uzbekistan , area_served = Asia , key_people = Isokov ...
in
Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
,
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
, then a republic of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Some 860 of the basic transport variants were manufactured. In the 1990s, modernized variants also equipped with
Soloviev D-30 The Soloviev D-30 (now the Aviadvigatel PS-30) is a Soviet two-shaft low-bypass turbofan engine, officially referred to as a "bypass turbojet". It is probably the single most important turbofan engine developed in the Soviet Union. Development o ...
turbofan engines were developed (MF, TF), with a cargo compartment long by wide by tall; these larger variants were not produced in significant quantity due to the financial difficulties being experienced by the Russian Air Force, which was the primary operator of the type. The prototype of the Il-76MF conducted its first flight on 1 August 1995.


Further development

From 2004 onwards, a number of aircraft in commercial service were modernized to the Il-76TD-90VD version; this involved the adoption of the newly developed
PS-90 The Aviadvigatel PS-90 is a Russian high-bypass commercial turbofan rated at 16000 kgf (157 kN, 35,300 lbf) thrust. It powers Russian airliners such as the Ilyushin Il-96 and the Tupolev Tu-204/Tu-214 series and transport aircraft such as ...
engine to comply with European noise limitations.Butowski, Piotr. ''Iliuszyn Ił-76 powraca''. ''Lotnictwo'' nr. 9/2004, p. 28-32 In 2005, the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
placed an order for 34 new Il-76MDs and four Il-78 tankers. In June 2013, Russian military export agency
Rosoboronexport JSC Rosoboronexport (russian: AO Рособоронэкспорт, ''Rosoboroneksport'') is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services. The Rosoboronexport F ...
announced an order by China for 12 Il-76MD aircraft. The Il-76 has also been modified into an airborne refuelling tanker, designated the
Il-78 The Ilyushin Il-78 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-78; NATO reporting name Midas) is a Soviet/Russian four-engined aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76 strategic airlifter. Design and development The Soviet Union's first dedicated tan ...
, around 50 aircraft having been produced. A variant of the Il-76 also serves as a firefighting waterbomber. Its airframe was used as a base for the
Beriev The PJSC Beriev Aircraft Company (russian: Таганрогский авиационный научно-технический комплекс им. Г. М. Бериева, , Beriev Taganrog Aviation Scientific Technical Complex), formerly Beriev ...
A-50 'Mainstay' AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) aircraft; around 25 aircraft were made. Another application for the type was found in
Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...
support flights and for conducting simulated weightlessness training for
cosmonauts An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
(akin to the "Vomit Comet" used by NASA). Beriev and
NPO Almaz JSC NPO Almaz named after A.A. Raspletin (russian: link=no, ГСКБ Концерна ПВО "Алмаз-Антей", former SB-1, 1947–50; KB-1, 1950–66; MKB Strela, 1966–71; TsKB Almaz, 1971–88; NPO Almaz, 1988–2008; GSKB Almaz-Ante ...
also developed an airborne laser flying laboratory designated A-60, of which two were built, much of this project's details remaining classified.


Il-76MD-90A

It was announced in 2010 that the production of a modernized Il-76, the Il-76MD-90A (also known as ''project Il-476'' during the design stage), would begin; a proposed new production line would be located in
Aviastar Aviastar-TU Airlines (russian: Авиастар-ТУ) is a cargo charter airline which operates principally out of Ramenskoye Airport in Moscow, Russia. Its headquarters is located in Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast. History The airline began operatin ...
's facility in
Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk, known until 1924 as Simbirsk, is a city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River east of Moscow. Population: The city, founded as Simbirsk (), was the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin (born ...
, Russia, and be operated in cooperation with the Tashkent works.Butowski, Piotr. ''Rosyjski kontrakt na Ił-76 i Ił-78 dla Chin''. ''Lotnictwo'' nr. 1/2007, pp. 54–55 At that point, the construction of two Il-76MD-90A prototypes had begun at the Ulyanovsk facility. The first Il-76MD-90A was rolled out at Aviastar's Ulyanovsk plant on 16 June 2014. On 29 April 2015, it was reported that the Russian Air Force received the first Il-76MD-90A built at the Ulyanovsk plant "Aviastar-SP" from the 2012 contract for 39 aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) received its first serial production Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A airlifter on 2 April 2019. As of late 2022, 27 aircraft are ordered to be delivered in the period up to 2028 and 14 had been built.


Operational history

The first aircraft was delivered to the Soviet Air Force in June 1974. Next it became the main Soviet strategic transport aircraft. From 1976 it was operated by
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
. Between 1979 and 1991, the Soviet Air Force Il-76s made 14,700 flights into Afghanistan, transporting 786,200 servicemen, and 315,800 tons of freight. The Il-76 carried 89% of Soviet troops and 74% of the freight that was airlifted. As Afghan rebels were unable to shoot down high-flying Il-76s, their tactics were to try and damage it on takeoff or landing. Il-76s were often hit by shoulder-launched
Stinger A stinger (or sting) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods) capable of injecting venom, usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal. An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of v ...
and Strela heat-seeking missiles and large-calibre machine gun fire, but because the strong airframes were able to take substantial damage and still remain operational, the aircraft had a remarkably low attrition rate during this period of conflict. Building on that experience, the bulk of the Canadian Forces equipment into Afghanistan was flown in using civilian Il-76s. In 2006, the Russian Air Force had about 200 Il-76s. Civilian users in Russia have 108. On 3 August 1995, an Airstan Ilyushin Il-76 piloted by a Russian crew was forced down by a
Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
-controlled Afghanistan Air Force fighter in what became known as
Airstan incident The Airstan incident was an international incident involving Russia and the Taliban of Afghanistan in 1995 and 1996. On 3 August 1995, Taliban-controlled fighter aircraft intercepted an Airstan Ilyushin Il-76TD transport aircraft, with seven Rus ...
. The crew were imprisoned for nearly a year, but later escaped out of their confinement and managed to sneak into their aircraft still stuck at the airport and fly out of Afghanistan. In 2004, a Chinese
People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
(PLAAF) Il-76 carried out a flight mission in Afghanistan, and later in 2011, PLAAF Il-76s were sent to Libya to evacuate Chinese citizens. The two missions were the reported first steps of PLAAF developing long-range transportation capability. On 23 March 2007, a Transaviaexport Il-76 was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile while taking off from Mogadishu, Somalia. Everybody on board, seven crew and four passengers, were killed.
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
Il-76s, operating as civil
Syrianair Syrian Airlines ( ar, السورية للطيران), operating as SyrianAir ( ar, السورية), is the flag carrier airline of Syria. It operates scheduled international services to several destinations in Asia, Europe and North Africa, thoug ...
aircraft, have been reportedly used to ship weapons, money, and other cargo from Russia and Iran to Syria, according to a defected Syrian military pilot. Since the start of the war, in April 2011 (and up to July 2012), around 20 military flights have been conducted to and from
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, via
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
i airspace. Further information exposes that since around 2012, Syrian Il-76s have regularly flown to Moscow's
Vnukovo Airport Vnukovo, formally Vnukovo Andrei Tupolev International Airport (named after Andrei Tupolev) ( rus, links=no, Внуково, p=ˈvnukəvə) , is a dual-runway international airport located in Vnukovo District, southwest of the centre of Moscow, ...
to fetch shipments of Syrian banknotes that have been useful to
Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
's government to survive Western sanctions. On 14 June 2014, a
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
Il-76 was shot down by ground fire from pro-Russian separatists while on approach to landing at
Luhansk Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...
, resulting in the deaths of 40 soldiers and nine crew members on board. On 30 January 2017, an IL-76 firebomber of the Russian EMERCOM agency was deployed to
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
to assist firefighters. This assignment took 39 days. All Il-76 transport aircraft in service with the RF Aerospace Forces will receive anti-missile systems. The aircraft reconfiguration started in the spring 2019. On 25 February 2022, during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, the Ukrainian State Special Communications Agency and US officials claimed that Russian Il-76s were shot down over
Bila Tserkva Bila Tserkva ( uk, Бі́ла Це́рква ; ) is a city in the center of Ukraine, the largest city in Kyiv Oblast (after Kyiv, which is the administrative center, but not part of the oblast), and part of the Right Bank. It serves as the admi ...
. Until September 2022 no wreckage of the alleged transport planes were ever found. On 4 April 2022, photographs of two destroyed Il-76s from the Ukrainian 25th Transport Aviation Brigade were displayed; these cargo planes were destroyed on the ground by Russian forces at Melitopol Airport.


Variants


Prototypes and developmental variants

;Il-76TD-90 / Il-76MD-90: Engine upgrades to Perm PS-90s. ;Il-76 firebomber: Firefighting aircraft to drop exploding capsules filled with fire retardant. ;Il-76PSD: SAR version of ''Il-76MF'' ;Il-96: Early development of convertible passenger/cargo aircraft, (project only, designation re-used later) ;Il-150: proposed Beriev A-50 with Perm PS-90 engines. ;
Beriev A-60 The Beriev A-60 is a Soviet/Russian airborne laser laboratory aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD transport. In the 1970s a special aviation complex was established by the Soviets at Taganrog machine-building factory to develop airborne las ...
: Airborne laser weapon testbed. (''Il-76 version 1A'')


Special purpose / research variants

;Il-76LL: with reinforced wing (at least 3 aircraft) to be used as test-bed aeroplane for engine prototypes flight testing in
Gromov Flight Research Institute The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...
. ;Izdeliye-176: prototype Il-76PP. ;Izdeliye-576: ;Izdeliye-676: Telemetry and communications relay aircraft, for use during trial programmes (prototype). ;Izdeliye-776: Telemetry and communications relay aircraft, for use during trial programmes (prototype). ;Izdeliye-976 ("SKIP", Il-976, or Il-76SK) – (СКИП – Самолетный Контрольно-Измерительный Пункт, Airborne Check-Measure-and-Control Center): Il-76/A-50 based Range Control and Missile tracking platform. Initially built to support Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile tests. ;Izdeliye-1076: Special mission aircraft for unknown duties. ;Izdeliye-1176: ELINT electronic intelligence aircraft, or ''Il-76-11''


Military variants

;Il-76-Tu160 tailplane transporter: One-off temporary conversion to support Tu-160 emergency modification programme. ;Il-76D: ('D' for "Desantnyi", ''Десантный'' – "Paratrooper transport") has a gun turret in the tail for defensive purposes. ;Il-76K/Il-76MDK/Il-76MDK-II: Zero-g cosmonaut trainer (''dlya podgotovki kosmonavtov''), used by
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center The Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC; Russian: Центр подготовки космонавтов имени Ю. А. Гагарина) is a Russian training facility responsible for train ...
. ;Il-76LL: Engine testbed, (''ooniversahl'naya letayuschchaya laboratoriya''). ;Il-76M: Military transport version, (''modifitseerovannyy'' – modified). ;Il-76MD: Improved military transport version, (''modifitseerovannyy Dahl'ny'' – modified, long-range). ;Il-76MD Skal'pel-MT: Mobile Hospital ;Il-76M / Il-76MD: Built without military equipment but designated as Ms and MDs (Gordon – 'Falsies') ;Il-76MD-90: An Il-76MD with quieter and more economical Aviadvigatel PS-90 high-bypass turbofan engines. ;Il-76MF: Stretched military version with a 6.6 m longer fuselage, PS-90A-76 engines, maximum takeoff weight of 210 tonnes and a lift capability of 60 tonnes. First flew in 1995, not built in series so far, just built for Jordan. ;Il-76PP: ECM aircraft, major problems with ECM equipment on the Izdeliye-176 only. ;Il-76MD-M: Modernized Il-76MD for the Russian Air Force. ;Il-76MD-90A: An upgraded version with a new glass cockpit, upgraded avionics, new one-piece carbon-fibre wing, and Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 engines. It was also known as Il-476 while in development. ;Il-76T/Il-76TD: Built as military aircraft but given civilian designations. (Gordon – 'Falsie') ; Ilyushin Il-78/Il-78M/Il-78MD-90A: Aerial refuelling tanker. ;Il-78 MKI: A customized version of the Il-78 developed for the Indian Air Force. ;Il-82: Airborne Command Post/communications relay aircraft, (alternative designation – Il-76VKP-'version65S'). ;Il-84: Maritime Search and Rescue aircraft, (alternative designation – Il-76PS-''poiskovo-spasahtel'nyy''), not produced. ;
Beriev A-50 The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Soviet airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss", the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence wa ...
/Beriev A-50M/Beriev A-50I/Beriev A-50E: Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft. Beriev given control over the program. ;
Beriev A-100 The Beriev A-100 is a Russian-built airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft. This aircraft is developed to replace the Beriev A-50 in Russian Air Force service. Avionics and configuratio ...
: An AEW&C version of the Il-76MD-90A.


Civil variants

;Il-76MGA: Initial Commercial freighter. (two prototypes and 12 production) equipped with
Soloviev D-30 The Soloviev D-30 (now the Aviadvigatel PS-30) is a Soviet two-shaft low-bypass turbofan engine, officially referred to as a "bypass turbojet". It is probably the single most important turbofan engine developed in the Soviet Union. Development o ...
Turbofan engines. ;Il-76MD to Il-76TD conversions: Complete removal of military equipment, identified by crude cover over OBIGGS inlet in Starboard Sponson. ;Il-76P / Il-76TP / Il-76TDP / Il-76MDP: Firefighting aircraft. The Il-76 waterbomber is a VAP-2 1.5-hour install/removal tanking kit conversion. The Il-76 can carry up to 13,000 U.S. gallons (49,000 liters) of water; 3.5 times the capacity of the
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
. Since this kit can be installed on any Il-76, the designation Il-76TP, Il-76TDP are also used when those versions of the Il-76 are converted into waterbombers. The Il-76P was first unveiled in 1990. ;Il-76T: ('T' for Transport, Транспортный) unarmed civil cargo transport version. NATO code-name "Candid-A". It first flew on November 4, 1978. ;Il-76TD: The civil equivalent of the Il-76MD, first flew in 1982, equipped with
Soloviev D-30 The Soloviev D-30 (now the Aviadvigatel PS-30) is a Soviet two-shaft low-bypass turbofan engine, officially referred to as a "bypass turbojet". It is probably the single most important turbofan engine developed in the Soviet Union. Development o ...
Turbofan engines. ;Il-76TD-90: An Il-76TD with Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines and a partial
glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than the traditional style of analog dials and gauges. While a traditional cockpit relies on numerous mech ...
. ;Il-76TD-90VD: An Il-76TD with Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines and a partial
glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than the traditional style of analog dials and gauges. While a traditional cockpit relies on numerous mech ...
. It was developed specially for Volga-Dnepr cargo company, which operates five aircraft as of 2021. ;Il-76TD-S: Civilian mobile Hospital, similar to Il-76MD Skal'pel-MT. ;Il-76TF: Civil transport stretched version with Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines. It is the civil version of the Il-76MF (none produced).


Foreign variants

;Beriev A-50E/I: For the Indian Air Force. Hosts Israeli Phalcon radar for AEW&C and Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines. ;Il-76MD tanker: Iraqi Air Force tanker conversions. ;
KJ-2000 The KJ-2000 (), NATO reporting name: Mainring is a People's Republic of China, Chinese Airborne early warning and control system comprising domestically designed electronics and radars installed on a modified Ilyushin Il-76 airframe. Development ...
: Domestic
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
airborne early warning and control conversion of Il-76, developed after A-50I was cancelled and currently in service with the armed forces of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. ;CFTE engine testbed: The China Flight Test Establishment (CFTE) currently operates a flying testbed converted from a Russian-made Il-76MD jet transport aircraft to serve as a flying testbed for future engine development programmes. The first engine to be tested on the aircraft is the WS-10A "Taihang" turbofan, currently being developed as the powerplant for China's indigenous J-10 and J-11 fighter aircraft. Il-76MD #76456, acquired by the AVIC 1 from Russia in the 1990s, is currently based at CFTE's flight test facility at Yanliang, Shaanxi Province. ;Baghdad-1: Iraqi development with a radar mounted in the cargo hold enabling it to serve as AEW&C, used in the Iran–Iraq War. ;Baghdad-2:Iraqi development (with French assistance) with
fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
-reinforced
plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
radome over the antenna of the
Thomson-CSF Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialized in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon the aerospace and defence sectors of the market. Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merger of Thomson-Houst ...
Tiger G surveillance radar with a maximum detection range of . One was destroyed on the ground during the 1991
Persian Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
; two others were flown to Iran where they remained. At least one went into service with the IRIAF. One aircraft
crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...
following a midair collision with a
HESA Saeqeh The HESA Saeqeh ( fa, صاعقه, "thunderbolt"), alternatively spelt Sa'eqeh; Saegheh, or Saeqeh-80, is an Iranian built single-seat jet fighter, derived from the American Northrop F-5. A joint product of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force ...
fighter, during the annual Iranian military parade in Teheran. It can be distinguished from the
Beriev A-50 The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Soviet airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss", the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence wa ...
by having the Il-76 navigator windows in the nose, which the A-50 does not.


Operators

Military and civil operators in 38 countries have operated 850+ Il-76 in large numbers. While Russia is the largest military operator of the Il-76, followed by Ukraine and India, Belarus'
TransAVIAexport Airlines TAE Avia, formerly named TransAVIAexport Airlines, is a Belarusian national cargo airline. It is based at Minsk International Airport in Belarus, with a hub at Sharjah International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates. History TransAVIAexport A ...
is the largest civilian operator.


Military operators

; *
Algerian Air Force The Algerian Air Force (AAF) ( ar, القُوَّاتُ الجَوِّيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, links=, lit=, translit=al-Quwwāt al-Ǧawwiyyah al-Ǧazāʾiriyyah, french: Forces aériennes algériennes, links=, lit=, translit ...
– 11 Il-76s and five Il-78s in service as of December 2021. ; *
Angolan Air Force The National Air Force of Angola or FANA ( pt, Força Aérea Nacional de Angola) is the air branch of the Armed Forces of Angola. With an inventory of more than 300 aircraft, FANA is (on paper) one of the largest and strongest air forces of A ...
– six II-76TDs. ; *
Armenian Air Force The Armenian Air Force ( hy, Հայաստանի Ռազմաօդային Ուժեր, Hayastani Razmaodayin Uzher) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Armenia formed by independent Armenia in 1992 in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Unio ...
– two Il-76s in service as of December 2021. ; *
Azerbaijan Air Force Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defence often referred to as the Azerbaijani Air Force ( az, Azərbaycan hərbi hava qüvvələri) is the air force and air defence force of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The roots of the current organisat ...
– two Il-76s in service as of December 2021. ; *
Belarusian Air Force The Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Ваенна-паветраныя сілы і войскі супрацьпаветранай абароны Рэспублікі Беларусь, Vajenna-pavietranyja sily i ...
– inherited a number of Il-76s from the Soviet Air Force. Two in service as of December 2021. ; *
People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
operates 17 Il-76 aircraft, including three KJ-2000 AEW&C versions and some Il-78 tankers, with a further 30 due for delivery. However, the deal for new IL-476 is canceled, instead China received ten refurbished IL-76 from Russia and developed its own transport the
Xian Y-20 The Xi'an Y-20 Kunpeng () is a large military transport aircraft developed by the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation for the People's Republic of China (PRC). The aircraft is nicknamed "Chubby Girl" () in the Chinese aviation industry becaus ...
. ; *
Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all milit ...
– two Il-76MFs in service (from the
Royal Jordanian Air Force The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. History Early days Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
). ; * Equatorial Guinea Air Force – one Il-76 in service as of December 2021. ; *
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
– 26 Il-76s (17 Il-76MDs, 6 Il-78MKIs, and 3
Beriev A-50 The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Soviet airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss", the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence wa ...
s for AEW&C) ; *
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...
– five Il-76s in service as of December 2021. * Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Air Force – three Il-76s in service as of December 2021. ; *
Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...
– operated about 110 as of 2016. *
Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (PS FSB Rossii) (russian: Пограничная служба Федеральной службы безопасности Российской Федерации ( ...
(2016) *
National Guard Forces Command The National Guard Forces Command of the Russian Federation (Russian: Войска национальной гвардии Российской Федерации, ''Voyska Natsionalnoy Gvardii Rossiyskoi Federatsii'') is the gendarmerie comp ...
– operated nine as of 2016. ; * Sudanese Air Force – one Il-76 as of December 2021. ; *
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
– two Il-76s in service as of December 2021. ; *
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
– inherited a large number of Il-76s from the Soviet Air Force, with seven remaining in service as of December 2021. ; *
Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces The Air and Air Defence Forces (; ) are the aerial arm of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was formed following the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, though the military was not created by the Uzbek government until 1992. ...
– five in service as of December 2021.


Former military operators

; *
Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...
– operated the Il-76, but none remain in service. ; * The
Libyan Air Force The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
has operated the Il-76 although it may not remain in service. ; *
Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
– operated hundreds of the aircraft, with an inventory of 310 in 1987. Most were dispersed to the successor states upon the breakup of the Soviet Union. ; *
Yemen Air Force The Yemeni Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية اليمنية, al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya) is the air operations branch of the Yemeni Armed Forces. Numbers of aircraft can not be confirmed but serviceability of these aircraft is low. ...
– Il-76TD, operated by the 4th Aviation Brigade. ; * Air Force of Zimbabwe


Civil operators

; *
Air Highnesses Air Highnesses is a cargo airline from Armenia. The airline commenced operations in 2008. The airline has its main hub at Zvartnots International Airport and its fleet consists of one Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft. Fleet Incidents and accidents * 3 ...
owned and operated Il-76T (EK-76300) on behalf of
Aéro-Service Société Aéro-Service Afrigo is an airline headquartered in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. It operates chartered cargo and business passenger flights within Congo and to neighbouring countries out of its base at Pointe-Noire Airport.Fl ...
. ; * Azal Avia Cargo operates one Il-76TD. *
Silk Way Airlines Silk Way Airlines is an Azerbaijani private cargo airline with its head office and flight operations at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. It operates freight services to Asia, the Middle East and Europe, as well as services for govern ...
operates seven, including five Il-76TD and two Il-76TD-90. ; *
Global Aviation Services Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * Global (Paul van Dyk album), ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * Global (Bunji Garlin album), ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * Global (Humanoid album), ''Gl ...
; *
TransAVIAexport Airlines TAE Avia, formerly named TransAVIAexport Airlines, is a Belarusian national cargo airline. It is based at Minsk International Airport in Belarus, with a hub at Sharjah International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates. History TransAVIAexport A ...
operates six Il-76TDs. ; * The
Government of Kazakhstan The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Үкіметі, tr, ''Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Ükımetı'') oversees a presidential republic. The President of Kazakhstan, currently Kassym- ...
operates one Il-76. * Air Almaty operates an Il-76TD for leased operations. *
GST Aero GST may refer to: Taxes * General sales tax * Goods and Services Tax, the name for the value-added tax in several jurisdictions: ** Goods and services tax (Australia) ** Goods and Services Tax (Canada) ** Goods and Services Tax (Hong Kong) **Go ...
operates 1 Il-76T. ; * Botir Avia operates three, including one Il-76MD and two Il-76TD. *
Kyrgyzstan Airlines JSC National Air Carrier "Kyrgyzstan Airlines" (russian: ОАО «Национальный авиаперевозчик «Кыргызстан Аба Жолдору») was the national airline of Kyrgyzstan, with its head office on the grounds o ...
operates one Il-76TD. * Reem Air ; * Imtrec aviation of Cambodia operates Laos registered Il-76TD. ; * Transafrica Airlines ; * Jet Line International operates the Il-76. * Tiramavia ; *
Air Koryo Air Koryo () is the state-owned national airline of North Korea, headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang. Based at Pyongyang International Airport (IATA: FNJ), it operates international scheduled and charter services to points in Asia. Histo ...
; * The Ministry of Emergency Situations operates an Il-76TD. *
Border Guard Service of Russia The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (PS FSB Rossii) (russian: Пограничная служба Федеральной службы безопасности Российской Федерации ( ...
* Abakan Avia operates three Il-76TDs. * Airlines 400 operates two Il-76TDs. * Airstars Airways operates four Il-76TDs on cargo services. * Alrosa-Avia operates four Il-76TDs on charter services. * Aram Air *
Atlant-Soyuz Airlines Atlant-Soyuz Airlines (russian: Авиакомпания Атлант-Союз), known as Moscow Airlines (russian: Авиакомпания Москва) during 2010-2011, was an airline based in Moscow, Russia, that operated domestic and inte ...
operates six, including two Il-76MDs and four Il-76TDs. * ATRAN Cargo Airlines operates five, including three Il-76Ts and two Il-76TDs. At least one Il-76M may have been operated in the past. * Atruvera Aviation operates three, including one Il-76MD and two Il-76TDs. *
Aviacon Zitotrans JSC "Aviacon Zitotrans" (russian: ОАО Авиакомпания «Авиакон Цитотранс», ''OAO Aviakompaniya «Aviakon Tsitotrans»'') is a private cargo airline based in Yekaterinburg, Russia. History It was established and sta ...
operates five, including four Il-76TDs. *
Aviast Aviast Air Ltd. (russian: ООО «Авиакомпания «АВИАСТ ЭЙР») was a cargo airline based in Moscow, Russia. It operated scheduled and chartered services throughout Russia and the CIS mainly out of Domodedovo International A ...
operates four, including one Il-76MD and three Il-76TDs. *
East Line East Line may refer to: Railways * East Line (Denmark), a local railway eastern Zealand, Denmark * East line (Macau LRT), a planned rapid transit line in Macau, China * East Line (MARTA), a rapid transit line in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, now ...
operates the Il-76. * Ilavia Airline operates six, including two Il-76MDs and four Il-76TDs. * Magadan Avia Leasing is a lease and charter operator of the Il-76. *
Samara Airlines Samara Airlines was an airline based in Samara, Russia. It operated scheduled and charter flights from Samara to destinations in Russia and other countries (mainly within the CIS) and charter flights to Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel ...
operates two Il-76TDs. * Spair Airlines * Tesis Aviation Enterprise operates nine Il-76TDs. *
Tyumen Airlines Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura (riv ...
* Uralinteravia *
Volga-Dnepr Volga-Dnepr Airlines, LLC (russian: ООО «Авиакомпания «Волга-Днепр») is an airline based in Ulyanovsk, Russia. It specializes in providing air charter services by operating a unique fleet of twelve Antonov An-124 (lar ...
operates eight: four Il-76TDs and four Il-76TD-90VDs. ; *
Aerolift Aerolift was a South African airline based in Bryanston, Gauteng, Johannesburg, operating chartered passenger and cargo flights within Africa using Soviet-built aircraft. Aerolift also offered aircraft lease services. The airline was launched i ...
Sierra Leone operates Il-76 aircraft for special charter and cargo lift operations. ; * Azza Transport operates two Il-76TDs. *
Green Flag Airlines Green Flag Aviation Co. Ltd. is an air transport service company based in Khartoum, Sudan, established in 1992. The company was added to the EU list of banned air carriers on 30 March 2010. Fleet Green Flag's fleet consists of: *2 Antonov An- ...
; *
Syrian Arab Airlines Syrian Airlines ( ar, السورية للطيران), operating as SyrianAir ( ar, السورية), is the flag carrier airline of Syria. It operates scheduled international services to several destinations in Asia, Europe and North Africa, thoug ...
operates four, including three Il-76Ms. ; *
Turkmenistan Airlines OJSC Turkmenistan Airlines ( tk, «Türkmenistan» awiakompaniýasy açyk görnüşli paýdarlar jemgyýeti, commonly known as Türkmenhowaýollary) is the flag carrier and only airline of Turkmenistan, headquartered in Ashgabat. It operates d ...
operates eight Il-76TDs. ; * ATI Aircompany operates a number of Il-76 models. *
Azov Avia Airlines Azov Avia Airlines was a cargo airline based in Melitopol, Ukraine offering chartered flights using two Ilyushin Il-76MD The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, fou ...
operates two Il-76MDs. * Khors Aircompany operates two Il-76MDs. *
Lviv Airlines Lviv Airlines ( uk, Львівські авіалінії) was an airline headquartered on the grounds of Lviv International Airport in Lviv, Ukraine."World Airline Directory." ''Flight International''. 27 March-2 April 2001. 102102 It operates ...
operates three Il-76MDs. * Ukraine Air Alliance operates four, including one Il-76MD and three Il-76TDs. *
Ukrainian Cargo Airways Ukrainian Cargo Airways was an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was a state-owned company operating charter passenger and cargo services. It also overhauled, leased and sold aircraft, engines and aviation equipment. Its main bases were Kyiv Bor ...
operates 21, including 19 Il-76MDs. * Veteran Airlines *
Volare Airlines C.A.I. Second S.p.A. was an Italian airline operating flights for its parent company, Alitalia. When Alitalia merged with Air One, it didn't close C.A.I. (at that time known as Volare S.p.A. and then Volareweb.com) so that it could preserve slot ...
operates three, including two Il-76MDs and one Il-76TD. * Yuzhmashavia operates two Il-76TDs. ; * The
United Nations Humanitarian Air Service The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) managed by the World Food Programme (WFP), provides common air services, including light cargo transport for the wider humanitarian community to and from areas of crisis and intervention. In mo ...
has operated several of the type from the early to mid-1990s to now. Most of them are either ex-
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
or one that the Russian Air Force has lent to the UN. ; *
Air Support Systems, LLC The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Gravity of Earth, Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating Atmo ...
operates the Il-76/78 in firefighting duties in the US. ; * Gulf Aviation Technology and Services operates a number of Il-76 aircraft on charter or lease. *
Phoenix Aviation AVE.com was a Kyrgyz-UAE airline based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates with its base at Sharjah International Airport, offered charter flights and aircraft lease services. AVE.com was established in 2005 by the renaming of Phoenix Aviation AVE ...
operates 2 Il-76TDs. ; *
Avialeasing Avialeasing Aviation Company is a cargo airline based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It operates cargo services linking cities in Asia with western and eastern Europe. Its main base is Yuzhny Airport, Tashkent.Flight International 27 March 2007 It is a ...
operates the Il-76 on a charter and lease basis. *
Uzbekistan Airways JSC Uzbekistan Airways, operating as ''Uzbekistan Airways'' ( uz, Oʻzbekiston Havo Yoʻllari, ; russian: Узбекские Авиалинии), is the flag carrier airline of Uzbekistan, headquartered in Tashkent. From its hub at Islam Kari ...
operates 14 Il-76TDs.


Former civil operators

; * Angola Air Charter has operated an Il-76. ; * Dvin Airlines operated an Il-76TD. * Yerevan-Avia operated two Il-76 (EK86724 and EK86817). ; *
Belavia Belavia, formally Belavia Belarusian Airlines ( be, ААТ «Авіякампанія «Белавія»; russian: ОАО «Авиакомпания «Белавиа»), is the flag carrier and national airline of Belarus, headquartered in Minsk ...
operated the Il-76 before its closure in 1999. * Gomelavia operated five Il-76TD. ; *
Faso Airways Faso Airways is an airline based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It was established in 2000 and operates charter flights to Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Fleet * Airbus A310-300 * Ilyushin Il-76TD See also * List of defunct airlines of Bu ...
operated a Il-76TD. ; * Imtrec Aviation operated a Laotian registered Il-76. ; *
Air Congo The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
operated an Il-76TD. ; * The Republic of the Congo operates an Il-76. *
Trans Air Congo Trans Air Congo (TAC) is an airline based at Pointe Noire Airport in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. History The company was established on 24 August 1994 by the El-Hage family and started services with a single Let 410 aircraft. Early serv ...
has operated an Il-76T. ; *
Cubana de Aviación Cubana de Aviación S.A., commonly known as Cubana, is Cuba's flag carrier, as well as the country's largest airline. It was founded in , becoming one of the earliest airlines to emerge in Latin America. It has its corporate headquarters in Ha ...
used to operate two Il-76s. ; * Ecuatorial Cargo operated one Il-76TD. * Express International Cargo ; * Sun Way has operated the Il-76TD. ; * Atlant Hungary has operated the Il-76. * Hungarian Ukrainian Air Cargo has operated the Il-76. ; *
Atlas Air Atlas Air, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, is a major American cargo airline, passenger charter airline, and aircraft lessor based in Purchase, New York. Atlas Air is the world's largest operator of the Boei ...
has operated at least eight Il-76TD. * Chabahar Air has operated at least two Il-76TD. *
Mahan Air Mahan Airlines, operating under the name Mahan Air ( fa, هواپیمایی ماهان, Havâpeymâyi-ye Mâhân), is a privately owned Iranian airline based in Tehran, Iran. It operates scheduled domestic services and international flights to ...
has operated the Il-76. *
Payam Air Payam may refer to: * Payam (administrative division), a political subdivision of counties in South Sudan, East Africa * Payam, Kerala, a village and panchayat in Kerala state, India * Payam, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan province, Iran * ...
operated two Il-76TD. * Qeshm Air operated two Il-76TD (airline disestablished). * Safiran Airlines *
Yas Air Yas Air ( ) is an Iranian airline which was a prominent commercial airline but now focuses on cargo only. Destinations * Tehran — Tehran Mehrabad International Airport (Hub/Base) * Mashhad — Mashhad International Airport Fleet Curre ...
operated two Il-76TDs (registered as EP-GOL and EP-GOM). ; *
Iraqi Airways Iraqi Airways Company, operating as Iraqi Airways ( ar, الخطوط الجوية العراقية ''al-Xuṭūṭ al-Jawwiyyah al-ʿIrāqiyyah, Kurdish: ھێڵی ئاسمانی عێراق''), is the national carrier of Iraq, headquartered on ...
operated a single Il-76. ; * Jordan International Air Cargo – has operated two Il-76MFs delivered in 2011. and operated for the
Royal Jordanian Air Force The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. History Early days Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
which were sold to Egypt in 2018 and were delivered in 2019. ; *
Air Kazakhstan Air Kazakhstan, stylised as ''Air Kazakstan'' ( kk, Эйр Қазақстан / ), was an airline of Kazakhstan which later became its national carrier after bankrupt Kazakhstan Airlines was shut down. It was headquartered in Almaty. History ...
operated Il-76 aircraft until its closure in 2004. * Kazakhstan Airlines operated the Il-76TD before its closure in 1997. * Sayakhat Airlines operated the Il-76 previously. ; * Inversija operated three, including two Il-76Ts and one Il-76TD. ; * Jamahiria Air Transport operated the Il-76M, Il-76TD, and Il-78. * Libyan Air Cargo, the cargo division of
Libyan Arab Airlines Libyan Airlines ( ar, الخطوط الجوية الليبية; transliterated: al-Khutut al-Jawiyah al-Libiyah), formerly known as ''Libyan Arab Airlines'' over several decades, is the flag carrier of Libya. Based in Tripoli, it operates sch ...
, operates 21, including one Il-76M and 15 Il-76TD. ; * Aerocom operated an Il-76MD as well as an Il-76T until as late as January 2005. * Airline Transport operated a number of Il-76 aircraft, losing three in accidents in 2004 and 2005. ; *
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
operated large numbers of aircraft, especially during Soviet years, often on behalf of the Soviet military. However, none remain in service with the airline. * Air STAN operated an Il-76TD. * ALAK operated Il-76 aircraft before its closure in 1999. * Aviaenergo operated the aircraft, but none remain in service. *
Continental Airways Continental Airways was a passenger charter airline based in Moscow, Russia. It was established in 1995 and operated out of Sheremetyevo International Airport. History The airline was founded in 1995 as an exclusive cargo airline, operating 3 ...
has operated the Il-76 in the past, but does not do so currently. * Dacono Air has operated the Il-76. *
Domodedovo Airlines JSC "Domodedovo Airlines" (russian: ОАО «Авиакомпания «Домодедовские авиалинии» ''OAO Aviakompaniya Domodedovskiye Avialinii'') was an airline with its head office on the grounds of Domodedovo International ...
has operated the Il-76, but none is currently in service. *
KrasAir KrasAir or Krasnoyarsk Airlines (russian: Красноярские авиалинии) was a Russian airline with its head office on the grounds of Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo Airport in Krasnoyarsk. It operated scheduled regional and international pa ...
operated the Il-76, but none is currently in service. *
Krylo Airlines Krylo Airlines was an airline based in Moscow, Russia, which operated regional passenger services and freight charters between 1990 and 2003. Code data *International Air Transport Association, IATA Code: K9 *International Civil Aviation Organiza ...
operated two Il-76TDs into 2005. *
Moscow Airways Moscow Airways was a Russian airline that was formed as a subsidiary of Aeroflot to operate the airline's fleet of Ilyushin Il-62s. History It began operating in 1991, flying passengers and airfreight. Among the airline's destinations ...
operated an Il-76TD in the early 1990s. *
Novosibirsk Air Enterprise Novosibirsk Air Enterprise was an airline based in Novosibirsk, Russia. It operated passenger and cargo services and aerial surveying work. It was established and started operations in 1929 as Novosibirsk Air Squad. Its main base was Severny Airpor ...
operated the Il-76, but none is currently in service. * Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise operated the Il-76, but none is currently in service. ; * Air Tomisko operated 3 Il-76TDs. Two were leased from
GST Aero GST may refer to: Taxes * General sales tax * Goods and Services Tax, the name for the value-added tax in several jurisdictions: ** Goods and services tax (Australia) ** Goods and Services Tax (Canada) ** Goods and Services Tax (Hong Kong) **Go ...
which had been before in service of Kosmas Air, and one more was added in May 2006.Trgovao oružjem sa bivšim agentima KGB
at
Blic ''Blic'' (Cyrillic: Блиц, ) is a daily middle-market tabloid newspaper in Serbia. Founded in 1996, ''Blic'' is owned by Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, a joint venture between Ringier media corporation from Switzerland and Axel Springer AG ...
Online, 17-12-2009, retrieved 19-11-2013
* Kosmas Air operated two Il-76TDs leased from
GST Aero GST may refer to: Taxes * General sales tax * Goods and Services Tax, the name for the value-added tax in several jurisdictions: ** Goods and services tax (Australia) ** Goods and Services Tax (Canada) ** Goods and Services Tax (Hong Kong) **Go ...
. ; * Aeroflot was the main civil user of the aircraft during the period of the Soviet Union, although many of its aircraft were operated on behalf of the military. * Jet Air Cargo was one of the first civil operators of the Il-76 in Russia other than Aeroflot. ; *
Air West Air West is an airline based in Khartoum, Sudan. It operates domestic passenger services and international cargo charters. Its main base is Khartoum International Airport, with a hub at Sharjah International Airport. This airline has no connect ...
operated at least six aircraft, although it is unclear how many remain in service. * East West Cargo operated a number of Il-76s. *
Juba Air Cargo Juba Air Cargo was a cargo airline based in Khartoum, Sudan. It was established in 1996 and operated domestic cargo services. Its main base was at Khartoum International Airport. In 2008 the airline ceased all operations. History The airline has ...
operated the Il-76. *
Badr Airlines Badr Airlines, formerly Sarit Airlines (from 1997 to 2004), is an airline based in Khartoum, Sudan, operating cargo and passenger air services for humanitarian aid missions, and chartered VIP flights. Its main base is Khartoum International Airpor ...
operated two Il-76s. * Trans Attico operated two Il-76TDs. * Alfa Airlines ; * Air Service Ukraine operated the Il-76MD. *
Air Ukraine Air Ukraine ( uk, Авіалінії України ''Avialiniyi Ukrayiny'') was a state-owned airline from Ukraine, serving as flag carrier of the country from 1992 to 2002. Headquartered in Kyiv, Air Ukraine operated scheduled passenger and c ...
and Air Ukraine Cargo operated the aircraft, although none were in service at the time of bankruptcy. * BSL Airline operated as many as six Il-78s. * Busol Airlines operated the Il-76 before its closure in 1998. * South Airlines ; *
Yemenia Yemenia ( ar, اليمنية) is the flag carrier airline of Yemen, based in Sanaa. It operates scheduled domestic and international passenger flights to destinations in Africa and the Middle East out of its hubs at Aden International Airport, ...
operated two Il-76TDs.


Accidents

As of April 2018, a total of 80 Il-76 series aircraft have been written off in crashes and other accidents. There were at average two Il-76 crashes or similar accidents per year since 1979, with more than 1000 casualties. * On 23 November 1979, a
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
Il-76,
registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...
CCCP-86714, banked left during an approach to Vitebsk Airport. Control of the aircraft was lost and the aircraft crashed, killing the crew of seven; this was the first loss of an Il-76. * On 11 December 1988, an
Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
Il-76 crashed on approach to
Leninakan Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...
, Armenia killing 77 of the 78 on board. The aircraft was on an air relief operation following the
1988 Armenian earthquake The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake ( hy, Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, ), occurred on December 7 at with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (''Devastating''). The shock occurre ...
. * On 1 February 1990, a
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
Il-76
registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...
СССР-86021 crashed 14 minutes after takeoff from
Panevėžys Air Base Panevėžys Air Base (also known as Pajuostis, and Tulpė) is an air base in Lithuania located 6 km east of Panevėžys. It is a transport base, with a very large ring taxiway 2 km in diameter. There are 32 large revetments. The mai ...
. The crashed killed all 8 members of the crew. * On 19 August 1996, an Il-76T operating Spair Airlines Flight 3601, crashed while trying to land at
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport ( sr, / ) or Belgrade Airport ( sr, / ) is an international airport serving Belgrade, Serbia. It is the largest and the busiest airport in Serbia, situated west of downtown Belgrade near the suburb of Surč ...
, killing all 14 occupants on board. * On 12 November 1996, Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an Il-76 had a
mid-air collision In aviation, a mid-air collision is an aviation accident, accident in which two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and the likelihood of subsequent impact with the ground o ...
near
New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
, India with a Saudi Arabian Airlines
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...
, resulting in the loss of all 349 lives aboard both aircraft. The accident was ruled as pilot error, with the Il-76 aircraft failing to follow air traffic controller instructions. * On 27 November 1996, a
Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...
Ilyushin Il-76MD, registration RA-78804, flew into the hillside of a mountain, minutes after it departed Abakan Airport, and crashed from the airport. All 21 occupants on board lost their lives in the accident. * In July 1998, a Ukrainian Ilyushin-76 cargo plane took off from Ras Al Khaimah airport and crash landed into the sea nearby. All crew members on board died. * On 2 December 2001, Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Flight 9064 crashed at Novaya Inya, Russia, following an onboard fire, killing 18 on board. * On 19 February 2003, an Ilyushin Il-76
crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...
near
Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...
, Iran under unspecified reasons (possibly weather-related). The crash killed 275 people, including hundreds of the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...
. * On 8 May 2003, the rear loading ramp of an Il-76 leased by the Congolese government unexpectedly opened at 10,000 feet after taking off from the capital Kinshasa. Initial reports stated that over 120 policemen and their families had been sucked out in 45 minutes, but 14 people actually died. *On 30 June 2008, an Ababeel Aviation Il-76 crashed while taking off from
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
on a relief flight, killing the 4 crew members, the only people on board the plane. *On 2 July 2008, Click Airways Flight 1002, operated using an Ilyushin Il-76TD from
Bagram Air Base Bagram Airfield-BAF, also known as Bagram Air Base , is located southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. It is under the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Sitting on the site of the ancient Bagram at an elevation of above sea leve ...
to Al-Fujairah-Fujairah International Airport, suffered an Uncontained Engine Failure of its no. 3 engine at FL280. The failed engine parts struck the no. 4 engine resulting in its failure, as well as the fuselage and fuel tanks. The flight crew managed to successfully make an emergency landing at Zahedan, Iran. None of the three crew sustained injuries. *On 15 January 2009, two
Russian Ministry of Interior The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; russian: Министерство внутренних дел (МВД), ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia. The MVD is responsible for law enfo ...
Il-76MDs were involved in a ground collision at
Makhachkala Airport Makhachkala Uytash Airport (russian: Аэропорт Махачкала Уйташ) is a civil airport located near Makhachkala and Kaspiysk cities. It is named after Amet-khan Sultan, World War II fighter pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Un ...
. One of the aircraft,
registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...
RA-76825, was ready to depart and was positioned at the runway end when the other one, RA-76827, came in to land. The wing of the landing aircraft struck the flight deck of RA-76825 and a fire erupted. There were three fatalities in the departing aircraft, out of seven occupants on board. None of the 31 occupants aboard RA-76827 were hurt. RA-76825 was written off as a consequence of the accident. * On 9 March 2009
Aerolift Aerolift was a South African airline based in Bryanston, Gauteng, Johannesburg, operating chartered passenger and cargo flights within Africa using Soviet-built aircraft. Aerolift also offered aircraft lease services. The airline was launched i ...
Il-76 S9-SAB crashed into
Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
just after takeoff from
Entebbe Airport Entebbe International Airport is the only international airport in Uganda. It is located about southwest of the town of Entebbe, on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. This is approximately by road south-west of the central business distric ...
, Uganda, killing all 11 people on board. Two of the engines had caught fire on takeoff. The aircraft was chartered by Dynacorp on behalf of AMISOM. The accident was investigated by Uganda's Ministry of Transport, which concluded that all four engines were time-expired and that Aerolift's claim that maintenance had been performed to extend their service lives and the certification of this work could not be substantiated. * On 22 September 2009, Il-76MD "5-8208" of the
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...
crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...
near
Varamin Varamin (; fa, ورامين, also Romanized as Varāmīn and Verāmin) is a city and capital of Varamin County, Tehran Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 218,991, and at the 2006 census, its population was 208,569, in 53,63 ...
killing all seven people on board. The crash was possibly the result of a midair collision with a
Northrop F-5E Tiger II The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and the ...
. * On 1 November 2009, an Il-76 belonging to the Russian Ministry of the Interior, crashed near the city of Mirny within 2 kilometers after taking off. Eleven people on board were confirmed as killed. * On 28 November 2010 Sun Way Flight 4412, Il-76 4L-GNI, crashed in a populated area of
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, Pakistan, shortly after taking off from
Jinnah International Airport Jinnah International Airport ( ur, جناح بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) , formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi Civil Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017 ...
. All eight people on board were killed, along with two people on the ground. The aircraft was reported to have been trying to return to Jinnah after suffering an uncontained engine failure and fire. * On 6 July 2011 a
Silk Way The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
Il-76, tail number 4K-AZ55,
crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...
into a mountain in Afghanistan, while on final to
Bagram Air Force Base Bagram Airfield-BAF, also known as Bagram Air Base , is located southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. It is under the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Sitting on the site of the ancient Bagram at an elevation of above sea leve ...
. Eight people on board were initially confirmed as killed, with one unaccounted. * On 30 November 2012 an
Aéro-Service Société Aéro-Service Afrigo is an airline headquartered in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. It operates chartered cargo and business passenger flights within Congo and to neighbouring countries out of its base at Pointe-Noire Airport.Fl ...
Il-76T (also reported as being operated by
Trans Air Congo Trans Air Congo (TAC) is an airline based at Pointe Noire Airport in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. History The company was established on 24 August 1994 by the El-Hage family and started services with a single Let 410 aircraft. Early serv ...
in the days after the accident) crashed 850 meters short of runway 5L of the Congo's
Maya-Maya Airport Maya–Maya Airport is the international airport of Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. Facilities In 2010, a new long runway and a new terminal with three air bridges were opened. The older runway was repaired and now is ...
in
Brazzaville Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...
while landing during a violent storm, killing 32, including the 5 aircrew, another person on board and 26 people on the ground. *On 11 April 2018, an
Algerian Air Force The Algerian Air Force (AAF) ( ar, القُوَّاتُ الجَوِّيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, links=, lit=, translit=al-Quwwāt al-Ǧawwiyyah al-Ǧazāʾiriyyah, french: Forces aériennes algériennes, links=, lit=, translit ...
Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from
Boufarik Airport Boufarik Airport is a military airport near Boufarik, Algeria. It is the home base for the Air Transport fleet of the Algerian Air Force. The based aircraft are Beechcraft 1900, EADS CASA C-295, Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Ilyushin Il-76. It h ...
,
Boufarik Boufarik is a town in Blida Province, Algeria, approximately 30 km from Algiers. In 2008, its population was 57,162.popul ...
,
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
. All 257 people on board were killed, making the accident the deadliest air crash on Algerian soil. * On 24 June 2022, a
Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...
IL-76 crashed and caught fire whilst landing near the city of
Ryazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census ...
, killing 5 of the 9 people on board.


Aircraft on display

* UR-UCI (cn 083414444) preserved in the State Museum of Aviation, Kyiv-Zhulyany.


Specifications (Il-76TD)


See also


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * *


External links


Il-76TD
an




Il-476 production line photos on Englishrussia.com


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080218112711/http://www.gctc.ru/eng/facility/aircraft_e.htm Training aircraft at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center {{Authority control AWACS aircraft Il-076 1970s Soviet cargo aircraft 1970s Soviet military transport aircraft Quadjets T-tail aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1971