Possible leasing of western aircraft

Published: 3/31/2000

Under its recently announced “New Strategy" aimed at increasing the effectiveness of operations, Aeroflot is considering taking, on operational or financial lease terms, several western aircraft with seating capacity of 80 passengers and operational range of 2000 km. Nikolai Akimov, Aeroflot"s schedule planning manager, said that Russians types are not currently being considered because the airline needs the planes by the beginning of 2000/2001 winter season. At that time the Antonov An-140, Ilyushin Il-114-100 and Tupolev Tu-334 will not be available. In the future according to Aeroflot these new aircraft will be acquired, provided the new administration fulfils its promises on establishing a long-promised state aircraft leasing system. Akimov explained that Aeroflot has many relatively short routes with traffic of low intensity in winter time, on which the Tu-154M or Boeing 737-400 can not be operated profitably. Aeroflot has ten 68-seat Tu-134s, but this number is not enough in winter. The airline has plans to lease at least two additional Tu-134s if the western aircraft can not be aquired in time. Among candidates to meet Aeroflot requirement Akimov named ATR-series turboprops and the Avro RJ-series. Akimov said, the aircraft being considered will be mostly used on Aeroflot domestic routes, inside Russia and CIS, with flight duration less than two hours. “Being 737-400 is fine for routes to Western Europe, both in summer and winter", he said. If Aeroflot should manage to solve bureaucratic problems and resistance of local manufacturers connected to acquisitions of a new western aircraft, the airline will considerably enhance its drive to become the leading domestic carrier. There will however, be considerable restistance, and given the Russification stance being taken by the incoming administration this could be taken as a provocative move by the government, from a company that is reported not to be warmly regarded in the corridors of power.

Article ID: 1627