Kazakh Airlines Ilyushin IL-62M

Kazakh Airlines

IATA - KZ

ICAO - KZA

Callsign - KAZAKH

Ilyushin IL-62M

​UN-85523

The Ilyushin IL-62M was initially introduced into the Kazakh division of Poletavia in 1978. It was the first soviet union long haul airliner and the IL-62M filled its role well within the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, enabling the airline to operate longer range routes to eastern and northern Russia along with Asia without the need for stops as previously operated by the airline.

During the time that Kazakhstan gained independence and the nation setup Kazakh Airlines as the new flag carrier, many of the former Poletavia soviet jets previously based and operating from the former KSSR transferred to the new Kazakh Airlines, the IL-62M was one of these types. Kazakh Airlines was not keen to take the type on, deeming it uneconomical and expensive to operate however they did not have finances or the capabilities at the time to replace the type with another aircraft and while the aircraft did continue to operate within Kazakh Airlines fleet, the IL-62M did not operate for very long and was eventually retired in 1994 after the introduction of the IL-96. The Ilyushin IL-96 filled the role of the IL-62M well.

A total of seven IL-62M's where operated by Kazakh Airlines after it became an independent airline, of which all seven ended up being sold on to airlines in Russia, with the final type leaving the fleet in November 1994.

(this is a new template so there may be inaccuracies in places, over time I will continue to work on the template and eventually will update it in the Kazakh gallery)