Aeroflot Group has published an updated strategy through to 2028, by which time the group aims to be operating 600 aircraft.
The group currently has a fleet of around 350 aircraft across its Aeroflot, Aurora, Pobeda and Rossiya Airlines subsidiaries (Skyteam member Aeroflot accounts for around 250 of this figure). In May ch-aviation.com reported that Aeroflot Group plans to sell its 51 per cent stake in Aurora.
Aeroflot said that its expanded fleet would include 235 Russian-built aircraft – the carrier currently operates just over 50 Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 jets, with around 100 more set to be delivered, as well as orders for 50 Irkut MC-21-300s.
The group said that the fleet expansion would enable it to reach 130 million passengers per year in 2028, of which Pobeda will account for between 55 and 65 million.
As part of these plans, the group says it will continue to differentiate its subsidiary carriers in terms of “individual priorities and operating models”, with Aeroflot focusing on long-haul operations, Pobeda concentrating on budget travel, and Rossiya focusing on the Russian domestic market, “including flat fares on socially important routes”.
Earlier this year Aeroflot took delivery of the first of 15 A350-900 aircraft, featuring new fully-flat business class seats with a sliding privacy door.
Commenting on the news Aeroflot’s 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 strategy 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 per cent.
“It is an ambitious goal, but I believe that we can achieve it and put Aeroflot Group among the ten largest global aviation groups.”
