Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot has announced the Aeroflot Group strategy through to 2028 that includes adding 235 Russian-built aircraft to the fleet. In a meeting held July 16 in Moscow, Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev presented an updated Aeroflot Group growth strategy for the period leading through 2028.
The plan involves consistently building passenger numbers with a target of 130 million people flying on Aeroflot or its subsidiary airlines by 2028. The Aeroflot Group also expects to have a fleet of 600 aircraft by then, of which 235 will be newly-built Russian planes.
Each airline will concentrate on specific sectors
The blueprint for success also calls for the Group to differentiate each airline’s business model and concentrate on specific sectors of the market. The Group’s leading airline Aeroflot will focus on developing its long-haul business. In contrast, low-cost airline Pobeda will focus on budget travel, aiming to carry 55-65 million passengers by 2028.
Aeroflot hopes that by further developing Pobeda’s low-cost model, the airline will be able to reduce ticket prices and attract more passengers. Meanwhile, Rossiya airlines will focus solely on the Russian domestic market with across the board flat fares on important routes that it will fly using Russian-built planes.
Aeroflot wants to make travel more affordable
When talking Aeroflot’s ambitious plan CEO Vitaly Saveliev said:
“Key aspects of the updated strategy were developed at the end of 2019. Recent developments caused by the coronavirus pandemic showed us that we are on the right track. The updated plan will make air travel more affordable and increase mobility, providing additional support for Aeroflot Group’s future growth.
“The strategy through 2028 is called 30/30, as it calls for an increase in passenger traffic by 30 million, and a decrease in the average fares for economy-class passengers in Russia by 30%. It is an ambitious goal, but I believe that we can achieve it and put the Aeroflot Group among the ten largest global aviation groups.”
Aeroflot
Aeroflot currently has one of the youngest fleets of aircraft in the air, with 246 aircraft that have an average age of 5.2 years. The current fleet, according to Aeroflot’s website, is comprised of the following aircraft:
- 70 Airbus A320-200s
- 33 Airbus A321-200s
- 5 Airbus A330-200s
- 12 Airbus A330-300s
- 1 Airbus A350-900
- 48 Boeing 737-800s
- 19 Boeing 777-300s
- 54 Sukhoi Superjet 100s
Aeroflot also has orders for one Airbus A320neo, four Airbus A350-900s, two Boeing 737-800s, two Boeing 777-300s, and five Sukhoi Superjet 100s.
Pobeda
Based at Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) in Moscow, Pobeda currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 32, 737-800s.
*The Pobeda fleet has an average age of 3.5 years.
Rossiya airlines
Based at Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St Petersburg, Rossiya Airlines operates a fleet made up of the following aircraft:
- 20 Airbus A319-100s
- 6 Airbus A320-200s
- 13 Boeing 737-800s
- 9 Boeing 747-400s
- 10 Boeing 777-300s
*The Rossiya Airlines fleet has an average age of 15.7 years.
Is the MC-21 one of the Russian-built planes?
As we can see from the above lists, only Aeroflot operates the Sukhoi Superjet 100. In 2018 the SkyTeam Alliance member signed an agreement with the United Aircraft Corporation for another 100 Sukhoi Superjet 100s. The aircraft are expected to be delivered from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant between now and 2026.
Looking at the figures, we can see that even with the 100 Sukhoi Superjet 100 orders, the Aeroflot Group is still well short of the 235 Russian-built aircraft it mentioned. This leads us to wonder how many medium-haul MC-21 planes will be a part of that number.
Given the current situation as airlines try to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Aeroflot seems confident about the future.
What do you think about the Aeroflot Groups’ ambitions? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.