First produced in 1957 after development that took nearly three years, the Ilyushin-made model Il-18 produced by Tupolev’s subsidiary, Kazan Aircraft Production Association, is a turboprop plane that was so hugely popular that several countries purchased them. For nearly 30 years, this plane, having a range of 6,500 km with a maximum speed of 675 km/hr, was the preferred choice by airline operators, until the Ilyushin Il-62 made its debut. 

Rossiya Airlines is part of the Aeroflot Group and was founded in 1934 in Saint Petersburg, where it is still based. Until the recent Russian-Ukraine conflict, this airline flew to over 50 destinations.