Syria has recovered an Ilyushin Il-76T that left Damascus for Libya just four days before the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government, becoming the second Syrian heavy transport returned to the country after being flown abroad during the regime's final days.
The aircraft, registered YK-ATD, arrived back in Syria on November 12 after spending nearly two years in Libya. Syrian authorities said its return followed negotiations involving the Air Force, the Foreign Ministry and authorities in eastern Libya.
The Syrian government thanked Saddam Khalifa Haftar, deputy commander of the Libyan National Army and son of Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control eastern Libya, for facilitating the aircraft's return.
Built in 1981, YK-ATD was part of the small fleet of Il-76 transports operated by Syrian Arab Airlines but extensively used in support of the former Syrian government.
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
It departed Damascus for Benghazi on December 4, 2024. Four days later, rebel forces entered the Syrian capital and Assad fled to Russia, ending more than five decades of rule by his family.
Who was aboard the Il-76 on its final flight from Assad-controlled Syria remains unclear. Investigations have raised the possibility that it transported officials or military personnel out of the country, but there is no conclusive evidence identifying its passengers.
Aircraft remained active in Libya
YK-ATD did not simply remain parked in Benghazi after arriving in Libya. The aircraft was subsequently tracked operating domestic flights under the control of authorities in the country's east.
Open-source investigation group Eekad identified at least seven movements within Libya, including flights involving Benghazi and Sabha, before the Il-76 disappeared from public flight tracking after February 5, 2025.
The aircraft was later located through satellite imagery and videos. Images from Benghazi and Sabha showed an Il-76 matching YK-ATD, but with the Syrian Arab Airlines markings removed and its registration obscured.
Investigators used characteristics including the aircraft's paint scheme and individual marks on the airframe to identify it.
Related news
November 13, 2026
A flight without a publicly displayed identification departed Benghazi on November 12 and headed toward Syria. Shortly afterward, Syrian authorities announced that YK-ATD had been recovered and returned to the country.
The handover followed improving contacts between Damascus and authorities in eastern Libya. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited Benghazi in October and met Saddam Haftar, although official statements about the meeting did not publicly mention the aircraft.
Second Il-76 brought back to Syria
The return of YK-ATD follows that of another Syrian Il-76 associated with the chaotic final hours of the Assad government.
YK-ATA left Damascus on December 8, 2024, the day the capital fell. Flight tracking data initially appeared to show the aircraft rapidly losing altitude near Homs before its signal disappeared, prompting speculation that it had crashed.
The aircraft had instead reached Russia's Hmeimim Air Base in Syria. The unusual tracking data were later attributed to interference affecting satellite navigation signals in the region.
Syrian sources subsequently told The National that YK-ATA had been used by Maher al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's brother and commander of the Syrian Army's 4th Armored Division, to escape Damascus.
Russia returned YK-ATA to the new Syrian authorities in May 2026, making YK-ATD the second Il-76 dispersed during the fall of the former government to be recovered this year.
The Il-76s were among the largest aircraft available to the former Syrian government for moving personnel and cargo. Their return gives the country's new authorities control again over two aircraft whose movements became part of the chaotic final days of Assad's rule.
