In April 2011, the first production Ilyushin Il-76MF transport built by Tashkent-based TAPC corp. last year under the contract signed by Rosoboronexport and Jordan in August 2005 completed its tests at Ilyushin’s testing facility in Zhukovsky and was painted in the customer’s colours prior to delivery. Now, the aircraft has Jordanian registration JY-JID and the logos of the Royal Falcon and JIAC (Jordanian International Air Cargo) carriers.

JIAC was set up in Jordan in 2005. It hauls freight in the Middle East, Afirca and Asia, using Il-76, An-32 and Boeing 737-200F transports. Set up in 2007, its sister company Royal Falcon is a specialist in charter and, since 2009, scheduled passenger operations with the use of Boeing 737-400, 767-200/300ER and A320 aircraft (four units in all).

The first Jordanian Il-76MF c/n 96-02 (test registration 76954) first flew in Tashkent on 30 September 2010 and went to Zhukovsky on 29 October for outfitting and acceptance tests prior to the delivery. In April this year, TAPC assembled the second aircraft (c/n 94-01, test registration 76953) under the Jordanian order. It made its maiden flight in Tashkent on 12 May and ferried to Zhukovsky for acceptance tests on 31 May. Both aircraft are expected to be delivered this summer following the completion of acceptance trials and customer’s crews training.