Happy birthday! 20 years of Ilyushin Il-96-300 commercial service

Thanks to @newaviator's mention on twitter I just learned today that almost 20 years to date the four-engined Ilyushin Il-96-300 aircraft entered regular service with Russia's flag carrier, Aeroflot.

Although there are not many of them around, I find the Il--96-300 quite an impressive aircraft (have mentioned it a few times in this blog already!)...but, if you are not yet convinced of the fact that the Ilyushin Il-96 is a really photogenic aircraft, I suggest you check this photogallery...!

By the way, if you wish to see the Il-96 in action, here is a video that shows not only one, but two (!) Il-96 at Salzburg airport, in Austria (by the way, a great place to planespot Russian airliners during the Winter season!)