Russian Presidential Aviation Group Gets New Planes And Helicopters To Serve Vladimir Putin

Russian Presidential Aircraft Ilyushin Il-96-300PU. (Wikimedia Commons/E233renmei)

JAKARTA - The Rossiya Special Aviation Group, which is responsible for transporting the country's supreme leader, will receive a number of new planes and helicopters.

Just turning 65 on May 5, Rossiya CEO Konstantin Tereschenko will receive five aircraft and two transport helicopters, as part of the program to deliver new aircraft for the presidential aviation group until 2030.

"We are waiting for two new Il-96-300 aircraft and three passenger versions of the Tu-214. We are also waiting for the arrival of two new Mi-38 helicopters," Tereschenko explained, as reported by TASS.

There are no specific requirements set for aircraft of the presidential aviation group, Tereshchenko said. Although, usually presidential planes or planes for state officials will certainly be equipped with a number of security features and special designs.

"There are general requirements for all civil aviation. This is a normal serial production aircraft but with some additions," he explained, without elaborating on the overall features of the aircraft.

He further explained that the main requirements of the personnel and aircraft of the presidential special aviation group are the ability and readiness to operate. He described flights that could be delayed and planes replaced simply because one seat could not be folded.

Russian Presidential Aircraft Ilyushin Il-96-300PU. (Wikimedia Commons Anna Zvereva)

"Other airlines allow deferred errors, with malfunctions that don't affect flight safety. In our flight group, that's not allowed and everything should work fine," he explained.

Not only that, not just anyone can 'touch' the planes and helicopters in the presidential flight group. In addition to its own flight staff, this group also has its own staff of maintenance technicians.

"We have to work like a submarine in fully autonomous mode to ensure that no one else can touch our aircraft," he stressed.

The Rossiya Special Aviation Group of the Russian Presidential Administration is responsible for the transportation of the Russian President. In addition, the group also provides transportation for the elected president, the Prime Minister of Russia, speakers of the State Duma and Federation Council, heads of the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General, the chairman of the Investigative Committee, the head of the Kremlin government and the Russian Foreign Minister.

The history of the Rossiya special aviation group began in 1956, when high-ranking officials of the USSR converted military aircraft flown by Air Force pilots into aircraft of the special air team established on Aeroflot at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport.

The current flight group structure was formed in 2009, after being separated from its previous unit, Separate Flight Group No.235. The long history of this aviation group is appreciated by President Vladimir Putin, who has used the services of this group for a long time.

"In the history of your company, there are many brilliant and heroic examples of true courage, self-sacrifice, and dedication to duty. From day one, the aviation group took an active part in mastering domestic aircraft. You work under any and sometimes very complex conditions. and bear a great responsibility for the safety of passengers," President Putin said in a birthday wish to the group.