Flying Kremlin: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu aboard the presidential Ilyushin Il-96. Photo / Alexei Druzhinin, TASS, Getty Images
Flying Kremlin: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu aboard the presidential Ilyushin Il-96. Photo / Alexei Druzhinin, TASS, Getty Images
Switzerland was given a glimpse of the Russian President's $716m private plane, known as the "Flying Kremlin", ahead of Vladimir Putin's meeting with US President Joe Biden this week in Geneva.
The personal jet of the Russian leader is stocked with a personal bar, boardroom and bedroom containing a king-sizebed. You'll find all the comforts a head of state could possibly want while flying between appointments along the 10,000km range.
Ilyushin Il-96-300PU is a four-jet, long-range airliner. Designed by the Soviet Union it flew its maiden voyage in 1986 and went into service in 1993.
The presidential Ilyushin Il-96 carrying Russian president Vladimir Putin arrives at Geneva Airport Cointrin. Photo / Getty Images
The Ilyushin Il-95 is a plane which took off during the height of the Cold War to land a place as the plane of choice for the newly formed Russian Federation. In spite of this, only 30 were ever built.
A fleet of four are now used as the Russian state's VIP planes.
Putin's personal plane the Il-96-300PU first arrived into service in 2009, as one of the last off the slow production line.
In spite of the limited number produced, there is one place air passengers can experience the Ilyushin themselves.
Four are currently in service with Cubana de Aviación, Cuba's national airline. It currently serves long-range routes between Havana to Argentina, Canada and Spain.
A Cubana de Aviación Ilyushin Il-96 arrives at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. Photo / Wikimedia Commons
Though we doubt you'll have quite the lavish experience of Putin's gold-trimmed jet.
In 2018 the world was given a rare glimpse into the Russian presidential plane when chronically ill, teenage aviation fan Arslan Kaipkulov, 15, was granted a tour of the plane.
Arslan Kaipkulov, 15, was given free reign of the presidential plane through the Russian Dream with Me charity. Photo / Kremlin, TASS
In 2015 a dissident blogger named Kungurov embarrassed the Kremlin after publishing leaked photos from Russia's Ministry of Defence.
Presidential Bed: Photos of inside the presidential Ilyushin Il-96 were leaked in 2015. Photo / kungurov.livejournal
"Our self-proclaimed Tsar has decided to give himself a gift on his 15th anniversary of assuming the crown by whipping his slaves into paying for two luxurious IL-96 airliners for him," he wrote, alongside photos of what was purported to be Putin's flying gym and bedroom.
Meeting in Geneva: Air Force One, below, dwarfs the Presidential Ilyushin Il-96 of the Russian Federation. Photo / Getty Images, Alessandro della Valle
Also, spotted on the runway in Geneva was the US Presidential Boeing VC-25 also known as Air Force One. A modified Boeing 747 the plane which carried US President Biden to the meeting came into service in 1990, and is perhaps the most recognisable presidential aircraft.
