Russia
Russia State Transport Company operates two Ilyushin Il-96-300PU for use of the President of Russia. At least one of the aircraft was refitted as a VIP transport in 2001 by a British company for a price of GBP 10 million. The aircraft has the word "Россия" displayed in large Cyrillic letters across the upper side. As pictures leaked to the Internet in 2007 indicate, the luxurious refit included gold-plated bathroom fittings, marble floors, silk-lined walls and other expensive amenities. The aircraft is reported to have an escape capsule, much like the one featured in the film "Air Force One".
Mil Mi-8 VIP helicopters are also used for domestic air transport. The Rossiya government fleet consists of the following aircraft (December 2010):
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilyushin Il-96-300PU | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Ilyushin Il-96-300 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Airbus A319-115X CJ | 0 | unknown | 0 |
| Dassault Falcon 7X | 1 | unknown | 0 |
| Ilyushin Il-62M | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Tupolev Tu-134 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Tupolev Tu-154 | 6 | 0 | 17 |
| Tupolev Tu-204-300 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tupolev Tu-214 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Yakovlev Yak-40 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 36 | 12 | 22 |
Read more about this topic: Air Transports Of Heads Of State And Government
Famous quotes containing the word russia:
“... gathering news in Russia was like mining coal with a hatpin.”
—Mary Heaton Vorse (1874–1966)
“... from Russia I didn’t bring out a single happy memory, only sad, tragic ones. The nightmare of pogroms, the brutality of Cossacks charging young Socialists, fear, shrieks of terror ...”
—Golda Meir (1898–1978)
“How can I explain the difference to me between America and Russia?... the America I’ve known is a place where men on horseback escort union marchers, the Russia I’ve known is a place where men on horseback slaughter young Socialists and Jews.”
—Golda Meir (1898–1978)