The first Ilyushin Il-78-90A prototype made it's first flight on January 25, 2018 from the Aviatar SP plant in Russia. The prototype (0201) had first been unveiled in November 2017 and will undergo acceptance trials this year with a view to a production contract being signed.

The Il-78M-90A is an upgraded version of the Il-76 featuring new engines and avionics systems.