Il-76 Cargo Aircraft Successfully Lands on Ice Airfield in Antarctica

The test was conducted in order to include the ability to land on snow-covered ice airfields in the flight manual of aircraft equipped with this type of engine, according to the company.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian-built Il-76TD-90VD long-haul cargo aircraft has successfully completed a test landing on an ice airfield in Antarctica, the plane’s manufacturer, Ilyushin Aviation Complex, said in a statement Monday.

"The joint crew under the command of chief pilot… [Nikolay] Kuimov and chief pilot… [Ruben] Yesayan successfully carried out the first landing on an ice airfield at Novolazarevskaya station in Antarctica on an Il-76TD-90VD aircraft, equipped with a PS-90A-76 engine," the statement reads.

Ilyushin is a Russian company that manufactures passenger aircraft, military and civil transport aircraft, and special-purpose aircraft.