Why Putin’s India-Bound ‘Flying Kremlin’ Became World’s Most-Tracked Flight

Putin’s ‘Flying Kremlin’ Triggers Global Frenzy: Why Russian President's India-Bound Jet Became The World’s Most-Tracked Flight

Putin's customised IL-96 became the world's most-tracked aircraft as it flew to Delhi, with flight watchers closely following every movement of the Russian leader's heavily protected jet.

Putin India Visit: The aircraft carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin turned into the most-watched flight anywhere in the world today, drawing a massive spike of curiosity online as it made its way toward New Delhi. Flight Radar 24, which tracks aircraft across the globe, showed how quickly the numbers climbed.

“Our most tracked flight now: one of the Russian government aircraft en route to India,” the platform wrote on X, adding that President Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were set to meet over two days in the capital.

Putin arrived in New Delhi this evening, where PM Modi personally received him at the airport. Their discussions are expected to span a wide spectrum of issues, including defence, trade and long-term strategic planning.

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A few hours before landing, flight watchers noticed unusual activity involving two Russian aircraft. One jet would switch off its transponder while the other switched it on, creating a pattern that continued for some time. The transponder, which sends flight coordinates and other vital data to air traffic controllers, is a key tool in tracking aircraft movement.

For those familiar with Putin's travel security, the heightened interest came as no surprise. The Russian president rarely undertakes an overseas trip without two powerful symbols that accompany him everywhere: his heavily armoured Aurus Senat limousine and the presidential aircraft that has earned the nickname “Flying Kremlin”.

The aircraft itself, the Ilyushin IL-96-300PU, is a specially designed version of the IL-96-300, a long-range airliner created by the Ilyushin Design Bureau back in the 1980s. The model first took to the skies on September 28, 1988, and went into formal service in the early 1990s. Over the years, the state-modified version has become an unmistakable emblem of Russian presidential travel.

Today's extraordinary rise in global tracking activity became another moment where Putin's aircraft captured worldwide attention long before it touched Indian soil.

Source: ZeeNews
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