New Delhi, Dec 4: The aircraft carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged as the most tracked flight in the world earlier today, according to Flight Radar 24, ahead of his two-day visit to India.
“Our most tracked flight now: one of the Russian government aircraft en route to India. Russian President Putin and Indian PM Modi are scheduled to meet over two days in Delhi,” the flight tracker said in a post on X and its website.
Putin landed in New Delhi this evening, where he was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including defence, trade, and strategic cooperation.
Flight observers noted that two aircraft were involved, with one turning off its transponder while the other remained on, a cycle that continued during the journey. Transponders transmit aircraft coordinates and other flight data to air traffic controllers.
Known for traveling under tight security, Putin is rarely seen without two iconic symbols of Russian state power: the Aurus Senat armoured limousine and his highly customised presidential aircraft, the Ilyushin IL-96-300PU, nicknamed the “Flying Kremlin.”
The IL-96-300PU is a modified version of the long-range, four-engine IL-96-300, developed in the 1980s by the Ilyushin Design Bureau. It first flew on September 28, 1988, and entered service in the early 1990s, serving as the mainstay of Russia’s presidential air fleet.
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