MOSCOW. March 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia offers the IL-96- family aircraft in the Indian aircraft market, a source in the Russian defense industry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday.
"A Russian delegation, including representatives of the Ilyushin Company, has recently returned from India. In the course of the visit they negotiated introduction of the IL-96-family aircraft to the Indian aircraft market," the source said.
According to him, Indian air carriers are offered a whole range of IL-96-family aircraft: the IL-96-300 baseline passenger plane, the IL-96-300M airliner designed for the Aeroflot air carrier, and the IL-96-400T heavy cargo plane.
"The negotiations in India, which had seen participation of the director general of the Air India air carrier, resulted in deciding to continue the negotiations in late March or early April," the source said.
According to him, at the present time the Indian side is working out its requirements to be met by IL-96 aircraft. "It is possible that India will demand that the aircraft should be fitted with western power plants and avionics," the source said.
He also said that the Ilyushin Company, the designer of the aircraft, had certain proposals on IL-96 modernization.
"As is clear from experience in conducting such negotiations, it takes at least one to two years to sign a deal," the source said.
Negotiations on possible IL-96-300 deliveries are also being conducted with Cuba, he noted.