CNN.com - Facts: The Ilyushin Il-86

The aircraft is able to carry 350 passengers

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- With its first flight in 1976, The Ilyushin Il-86 was the first wide-body commercial aircraft built in the Soviet Union.

At 59.4 metres in length, it is similar in size to the three-engined McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 in the U.S. and the Airbus A300 jet in Western Europe.

However, Ilyushin chose to use four 4 Kuznetsov NK-86 engines for the Il-86. Around 120 of the aircraft have been built.

The aircraft can carry 350 passengers in a single-class layout.

During the Soviet era, Aeroflot was the only airline to use the aircraft.

The Il-86 is mainly used by airlines inside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Thanks to their capacity and baggage storage capabilities, most Il-86s remain in service on high-density routes and charter flights.

However, experts say the comparatively high fuel consumption of the Il-86, in addition to its limited range and performance, has been an obstacle to its commercial success.