Russian President's "Flying Kremlin" Becomes World's Most-Tracked Aircraft During India Journey

Vladimir Putin's presidential aircraft, famously known as the "Flying Kremlin," became the most tracked flight worldwide during its journey to India, according to Flight Radar 24.

Flight Radar 24 announced on its social media platform X and website: "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 Russian President arrived in New Delhi this evening and was personally greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport. Their scheduled two-day discussions will encompass various topics including defense cooperation and trade relations.

Aviation enthusiasts noticed an interesting pattern during the flight. Two Russian government aircraft were observed alternating their transponder signals - when one aircraft turned off its transponder, the other activated its signal. Transponders are crucial equipment that transmit aircraft coordinates and essential flight information to air traffic control towers.

As one of the world's most heavily protected heads of state, Putin typically travels with two significant symbols of Russian power: his Aurus Senat armored limousine and his highly customized presidential aircraft, the Ilyushin IL-96-300PU, widely referred to as the "Flying Kremlin."

This specialized aircraft is a modified version of the IL-96-300, a four-engine long-range Russian airliner developed during the 1980s by the Ilyushin Design Bureau. The aircraft made its inaugural flight on September 28, 1988, before entering official service in the early 1990s.