Aeroflot settles with SMBC Aviation Capital over 17 aircraft leases.

Aeroflot has completed the settlement with SMBC Aviation Capital on 17 aircraft

PJSC / Aeroflot has reached fleet settlement with SMBC Aviation Capital (Ireland) on 16 aircraft and 1 aircraft managed by SMBC Aviation Capital.

In accordance with the agreements reached, the lessors terminated their claims to the Russian parties both under insurance policies issued by Russian insurance companies and under leasing agreements with PJSC Aeroflot. The ownership of the aircraft was transferred to the LLC insurance company NSK, which paid the settlement amount.

Aeroflot Group keeps negotiations on the settlement of existing claims with other lessors of foreign-made aircraft.

Aeroflot has resumed the regional programme of flights to Thailand

The Russian airline Aeroflot has resumed direct flights to Thailand from Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.  The carrier started flights on 7th July with a programme of flights from various regions. 

On 8th July, Aeroflot restarted flights to Bangkok from Irkutsk which will be offered on a twice weekly service and from Krasnoyarsk and Vladivostok which both started on Sunday 9th July. Also, direct flights to Phuket from Khabarovsk also started on Sunday and a flight from Novosibirsk will begin on 11th July.

At the start of the war in Ukraine following Russia's invasion and attack, the Thai foreign minister Tanee Sangrat, backed the United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression and called for a withdrawal. However, in recent times the military authorities in Thailand have strengthed ties with Russia including providing financial assistance in foreign exchange. 

Since the covid pandemic restrictions were lifted, Russian tourists have flocked to Thailand and account for a major proportion of foreign visitors to the kingdom, a key ingredient to the financial prosperity of the country. Between 1st November 2022, and 21st January 2023, over 233,000 Russians arrived in Phuket, according to data from Phuket International Airport, making them the biggest group of visitors by far. Plus, tens of thousands of Russians, avoiding conscription, or the threat of it, as well as the economic situation in Russia, have arrived in Thailand to seek a new home. Many locals have complained about Russian people coming and taking over numerous jobs around Thailand, especially in the tourist areas, pushing Thai people out of work. 

Aeroflot Group launches more flights from Saint-Petersburg

The Russian Aeroflot Group has opened direct regular flights from Saint-Petersburg Pulkovo Airport to a number of destinations. 

Aeroflot itself operates its own flights to Istanbul from Pulkovo Airport are operated on Boeing 737-800 aircraft and flies four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. 

Flights to Samarkand are operated by Rossiya Airlines with Aeroflot's SU code three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays on Airbus A319 aircraft.

Aeroflot will operate flights to Tashkent three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with Boeing 737 - 800 aircraft.

A service to Antalya will also be operated by Aeroflot on 737-800 jets flying on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  

Russian airline traffic down in October as Aeroflot puts Egypt back on the schedule

Russian Aviation Insider is reporting that October traffic is down some 25% collectively across Russian airlines, who together carried 8.25 million passengers.  The website also highlights that the average load factor was also down, decreasing by 2% to 81.7. 

Leading Russian airline Aeroflot has recently announced the reinstatement of flights from Russia to Egypt,   the state-controlled firm resumed regular flights to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh on 1st October. The flights to the popular leisure destinations on the Red Sea are operated from Sheremetyevo Terminal C and are flown by Airbus A330 aircraft.  Aeroflot has two configurations on its A330 aircraft which accommodate either 36 or 28 people in business class and 265 or 268 in economy respectively.  

Aeroflot has confirmed it has also resumed daily services to Cairo with effect from 12th November, daily flights will be operated to the Egyptian capital. 

Moscow (SVO-C) — Cairo	SU0400	08:55	14:15	Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Sat,Sun
Cairo — Moscow (SVO-C)	SU0401	15:15	22:25	Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Sat,Sun

Moscow (SVO-C) — Cairo	SU0400	08:50	14:15	Fri
Cairo — Moscow (SVO-C)	SU0401	15:15	22:20	Fri

The flights are being flown by Boeing 737-800 jets featuring 20 seats in business class and 138 in economy class...

 Aeroflot has completed the transition to the domestic Leonardo air ticket booking system. The service developed by the Sirena-Travel company in partnership with Rostec State Corporation has replaced the foreign software which will help build protection against possible incidents and failures caused by sanctions.  

Aeroflot and UAC sign agreement for purchase of 339 Russian-made aircraft

Sergey Aleksandrovsky, General Director of PJSC Aeroflot and Yury Slyusar, General Director of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Rostec State Corporation, signed an agreement of intent to purchase 339 Russian aircraft at the 7th Eastern Economic Forum.

The agreement provides for the delivery of 210 MC-21 aircraft, 89 SSJ-NEW aircraft, and 40 Tu-214 aircraft to Aeroflot Group under leasing terms from 2023 to 2030. The document states that the Group will receive first two Superjet-NEW aircraft in 2023, and starting from 2024, deliveries of first six MC-21 aircraft and the first seven Tu-214 aircraft are planned.

"Today we signed the biggest agreement on the purchase of Russian-made aircraft in the recent history of Aeroflot. This is an important step that sets the stimulus and influences the future prospects for the development of civil aviation in Russia."   Sergey Aleksandrovsky said.

"Historical changes are coming to civil aviation. Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which are unlikely to ever be delivered to Russia again, will be replaced by Russian-made passenger aircraft. Out of the 339 aircraft, almost 300 are new-generation MC-21 and Superjet aircraft. Tu-214 will become a reliable support" - Sergey Chemezov, Director General of Rostec State Corporation. He also raised the point that the aircraft would be delivered with Russian-made onboard systems and components, which previously was not the case.  Key navigational and avionic systems as well as engines and other components were made in Europe and the U.S.. The airworthiness and effectiveness of Russian-made replacements have yet to be established. 

"Through Aeroflot Group, we are getting a reliable partner for entry into service of new generation Russian-made airliners. Given the unprecedented volume of the contract, its execution becomes one of UAC's top priorities for the coming years". said Yury Slyusar.

Russia reverting to domestic aircraft production with new investment.......

Photo Aeroflot 

As sanctions on western made aircraft continue to bite, the Russia Government has announced plans to invest 770 billion roubles – roughly $14.5 billion in domestically-manufactured aircraft by the end of the decade.

Despite getting Airbus spare parts from the United Arab Emirates Russian airlines are finding it increasingly difficult to keep western aircraft in a serviceable condition to operate within Russia and a limited international route network.

Many aircraft leasing firms are still trying to get aircraft that had been leased to Russian Airlines back, with legal action being taken. Moscow passed a law allowing some of those aircraft to be registered on the Russian aircraft registry to avoid them being repossessed.

Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said: "The share of domestically produced aircraft in the fleet of Russian airlines should grow to 81% by 2030,"

For many years the Russian authorities had been trying to restart the once gigantic aircraft industry but had only limited success. The Sukhoi Superjet regional plane experienced many problems in its development and hasn’t constructed as many aircraft as first envisioned. The programme is now struggling as it has a significant number of components, including engine parts are imported which are now embargoed under current sanctions.

Photo Aeroflot

There are plans to mass-produce the MC-21 aircraft as soon as alternative sources for some parts can be found, while a long-haul replacement aircraft, the Tu-214, is only having limited construction. 

According to state-controlled media, the national carrier, Aeroflot is to order 300 new aircraft from United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) another state-owned organisation. However, this appears to be just speculation, with neither parties aware of such a deal.  

Photo Irkut 

Aeroflots slots at Heathrow given to other airlines.....

One of the UK's leading travel trade publications, Travel Trade Gazette is reporting that a number of airlines using London Heathrow have been allocated slots that had previously been used by the Russian airline Aeroflot for this coming winter season. 

Some of the airlines getting these incredibly expensive take-offs and landing slots include Virgin Atlantic, China Airlines, Avianca and JetBlue. Edmond Rose, a former chief executive of slot coordinator ACL told the paper the invasion of Ukraine had created “a lucky windfall” for the airlines.

 

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Aeroflot to axe all international flights from 8th March

The Russian airline Aeroflot will halt all scheduled international flying from next week, with the exception of flights to Belarus the airline confirmed today.

The Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsiya issued a recommendation that all Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes should suspend passenger and cargo international flights as those aircraft could be impounded following sanctions being applied. 

Rosaviatsiya's comments don't apply to those Russian air carriers that operate flights with Russian aircraft, or fully Russian owned planes. 

Aeroflot says passengers of international flights holding one-way tickets with departure from Russia will be admitted for carriage until the moment of flights suspension. Passengers of cancelled international flights are eligible for a full refund of tickets.

The airline is also operating a small number of international passenger repatriation flights, including today from Havana, Cuba today and Punta Cana tomorrow. 

Earlier this week, Russia's largest private airline S7, said it will be stopping its international operations with effect this weekend.

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Russia bans UK flights from its airspace after UK bans Russian carrier Aeroflot.

Flights from British airlines are now banned from flying into Russian airspace in retaliation of the UK ban on Aeroflot from landing in the UK.

Rosaviatsiya Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport confirmed in a statement today that it was banning UK registered flights, aircraft owned, leased or operated by a person associated with the United Kingdom, from even crossing over its airspace as a direct response to the decision by the UK government yesterday to ban Aeroflot and other Russian airlines from British airspace. 

Ben Wallace, the UK's Defence Secretary said: "I think that's their retaliation for us yesterday banning Aeroflot from using and landing in the United Kingdom. That's their tit for tat response." 

British Airways has already axed its Moscow route, a spokesperson for the airline said "We have suspended our flights to Moscow and also the use of Russian airspace, following the confirmation of Russian government restrictions. We apologise for the inconvenience but this is clearly a matter beyond our control." IAG CEO Luis Gallego said "Following the UK government decision to ban Aeroflot from landing in the UK, we have taken the decision not use Russian airspace for overflights."

Other airlines have also taken action to avoid Russian airspace, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson "On Thursday evening, we took the decision to start avoiding Russian airspace and our flight paths will continue to be adjusted for some Virgin Atlantic passenger services between the UK, Pakistan and India,"  

Turkish Airlines has cancelled its flights to Russia until Monday and are said to be considering a longer suspension depending on the situation.  

The ongoing crisis is also affecting other modes of transport, Viking Cruises announced today that it was cancelling all of its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest cruises this year. Other cruise firms are altering routes of some cruises and say they are monitoring the situation carefully. 

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Havana return for Aeroflot

The Russian airline Aeroflot has resumed regular flights to Havana, Cuba with flights operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Flights to Havana will be operated on the Airbus A350, newest type of aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Thу A350 has a spacious three-class cabin layout with 316 seats: 28 private business class Suites, including 2-metre full-flat beds; 24 Comfort economy seats with extra legroom; and 264 Economy class seats. 

The long transatlantic flight onboard Aeroflot’s aircraft will be comfortable for travellers. Passengers in all classes will enjoy the latest generation in-flight entertainment system, landscape cameras and Wi-Fi connectivity*. Economy Class offers increased legroom and seat pitch (78.7 cm). In Comfort Class passengers will savour special menu, and appreciate the seats with enhanced recline angle, 33cm screens, individual lighting and sockets to recharge mobile devices. The Business Class Suites offer an unprecedented level of comfort and privacy. The Suites come fitted with 54 cm screens and 2-metre full-flat beds.

Havana is the second destination point in Cuba where Aeroflot operates regular flights. From June 2021, Aeroflot has offered three weekly flights to the resort city of Varadero.

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Aeroflot Group's operating results for November 2021

Russia's most well-known brand and leading airline group, Aeroflot has released details of its operating results for November and the year to date. During the month, the group carried 3.6 million passengers, which was an impressive 76.8% up year-on-year, but still not as high as the prepandemic levels.

The airline group said that 2.7 million passengers were carried on domestic services,  more than in 2019 by nearly 10 percent and up 46% on last years rates. International passengers were down 50% on 2019 numbers, but up slightly from last year. passenger load factor rose to 76.4%.  While the group carried 30.5 thousand tonnes of cargo and mail, up 27.5% year-on-year which helped stem some of the losses.  

Aeroflot Group airlines: All flights

	Aeroflot	Pobeda	Rossiya	Total
Passengers carried, thousand PAX	1,644.6	1,166.2	772.5	3,583.2
Change vs. 2020, %	97.4%	33.5%	2.4х	76.8%
Change vs. 2019, %	(41.5%)	33.8%	26.1%	(16.6%)
Available Seat Kilometres, million	5,960.5	2,143.1	2,444.2	10,547.9
Change vs. 2020, %	2.0х	33.2%	2.3х	86.8%
Change vs. 2019, %	(42.0%)	29.3%	0.4%	(26.6%)
Passenger load factor, %	68.8%	91.7%	81.7%	76.4%
Change vs. 2020, %	7.2 p.p.	3.5 p.p.	8.5 p.p.	5.1 p.p.
Change vs. 2019, %	(6.1 p.p.)	(2.2 p.p.)	0.7 p.p.	(1.7 p.p.)
Cargo and mail carried, tonnes	21,899.7	4,541.0	4,043.9	30,484.5
Change vs. 2020, %	31.3%	16.3%	21.6%	27.5%
Change vs. 2019, %	4.6%	6.7%	22.6%	7.0%

Aeroflot hits net profits of over 11 billion ruble during third-quarter of 2021.

Leading Russian airline Aeroflot has just released its latest results for the third quarter and once again the crunched numbers demonstrate the massive progress the carrier has made in recent months.

The Aeroflot Group recorded a quarterly profit – the first in two years – of RUB 11.6 billion, a major step forward and a clear indication of the way Russian air travel has bounced back. 

Key financial highlights

Q3 2021	9M 2021
Revenue doubled year-on-year to RUB 167,072 million	Revenue increased by 54.7% year-on-year to RUB 362,220 million
EBITDA totalled RUB 54,052 million	EBITDA totalled RUB 95,635 million
Net profit was RUB 11,635 million	Significant reduction in net loss to RUB 16,102 million

 

Andrey Chikhanchin, PJSC Aeroflot’s Deputy CEO for Commerce and Finance, said:

”Our results for the third quarter once again underscore the progress that Aeroflot Group has made in 2021. Continuing the consistent improvement in our financial performance over the past several quarters, in the reporting period Aeroflot Group recorded a quarterly profit – the first in two years – of RUB 11.6 billion.

“A significant contribution to the improvement in our financial results came from increased demand and the resulting growth in operational volumes of Russian domestic flights, which we doubled down on in the high season. During the third quarter, Aeroflot’s passenger numbers on the domestic market were 27.4% higher than the same period in 2019 (before the COVID pandemic). We also took maximum advantage of the gradual lifting of restrictions in the international segment, and this also had a significant positive impact on the results. Whereas our capacity on international flights in January of this year was at just 15.4% of the level of the same period in 2019, by September this metric had recovered to 43.1%.

“This recovery in flight volumes supported growth in revenue, which reached RUB 167.1 billion in the third quarter. EBITDA, which had turned positive in the first quarter of this year, also continued to grow and reached RUB 54.1 billion for the third quarter of 2021, 2.7 times higher than in the same period of 2020. The EBITDA margin was 32.4%, which is comparable with our pre-pandemic performance, given the impact of the pandemic and the resulting restrictions on forward booking timeframes, profitability in the domestic segment and load factors.

“As of the end of the reporting period, Aeroflot Group had cash and short-term financial investments totalling RUB 93.3 billion. The seasonal reduction compared to June is due to our fulfilment of commitments to passengers under bookings made before the start of the summer season, and is comparable with historical trends. Aeroflot Group is entering the new season, when cash burn traditionally increases, with a high level of reserves. We intend to maintain strict control over management of cost lines to maintain financial resilience through to the start of the next seasonal cycle of increased sales and reservations and positive cash flow.”

 

Aeroflot restarts flights to Havana

 

                                           Aeroflot has resumed regular flights to Havana, Cuba. Starting from 21 December, two weekly flights will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays. Ticket sales are open on the website.  

Flights to Havana will be operated on the Airbus A350, the newest type of aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Thу A350 has a spacious three-class cabin layout with 316 seats: 28 private business class Suites, including 2-metre full-flat beds; 24 Comfort economy seats with extra legroom; and 264 Economy class seats. 

The long transatlantic flight onboard Aeroflot’s aircraft will be enjoyable and comfortable for travellers. Passengers in all classes will enjoy the latest generation in-flight entertainment system, landscape cameras and Wi-Fi connectivity*. Economy Class offers increased legroom and seat pitch (78.7 cm). In Comfort Class, passengers will savour the special menu, and appreciate the seats with enhanced recline angle, 33cm screens, individual lighting and sockets to recharge mobile devices. The Business Class Suites offer an unprecedented level of comfort and privacy. The Suites come fitted with 54 cm screens and 2-metre full-flat beds.

Havana is the largest city and the capital of Cuba. The unique architecture and the vibrant atmosphere of the city attract tourists. Thanks to the good transportation service Havana is a convenient starting point to explore the central part of the Island and the famous Cuban beaches.  

Havana will be Aeroflot’s second destination in Cuba. From June 2021, Aeroflot has offered three weekly flights to the resort city of Varadero.

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Russian airline Aeroflot starting key holiday flights

The Russian airline Aeroflot has opened regular flights from Moscow to key holiday destinations including Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. The carrier has started daily services using Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Flights will be operated daily from October 1 on the following schedule:

Route	Flight	Departure	Arrival
Moscow — Hurghada	SU0422	11:40	15:55
Hurghada — Moscow	SU0423	17:25	23:50
Moscow — Sharm El Sheikh	SU0426	12:05	16:20
Sharm El Sheikh - Moscow	SU0427	17:50	00:10(+1)

The resumption of international air service between Russia and Egypt has been long-awaited. Egypt is one of favourite leisure destinations for Russians. Tourists are mostly attracted by the resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. In addition to beach holidays, travellers go on short sightseeing tours to Cairo and to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings.

 Dominican Republic

Another holiday destination to get regular Aeroflot flights from Moscow is Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic), which will initially operate on Fridays and Sundays, and starting from November, on Wednesdays as well. Thus, the frequency will be three weekly services.

Flights will be operated on Airbus A350, the most advanced wide-body aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Aeroflot’s A350 has a three-class cabin layout with 28 private business class Suites, 24 Comfort economy seats, and 264 Economy class seats. The business class cabin design featuring 2-metre full-flat beds in each Suite offers an unprecedented level of comfort, rivalling the first-class cabins of most major carriers.  The Suites provide a high level of privacy and personal space.

Aeroflot to start flights to Punta Cana

Aeroflot has confirmed it will launch flights between Moscow and Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic from 1st October this year. 

Three weekly flights SU0156/SU0157 on the Moscow – Punta Cana – Moscow route will be operated on Airbus A350-900 aircraft on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The Airbus A350-900 is the most advanced wide-body in Aeroflot’s fleet. Aeroflot’s A350 has a spacious three-class cabin layout with 316 seats: 28 private business class Suites, including 2-metre full-flat beds; 24 Comfort economy seats with extra legroom; and 264 Economy class seats. The Suites offer an unprecedented level of comfort for business class, rivalling the first-class cabins of most major carriers. As well as a high level of privacy and personal space, the Suites also come fitted with a 54cm screen.

In addition to the latest generation multimedia in-flight entertainment system, HD screens and Wi-Fi connectivity will ensure an enhanced experience for all passengers on long-haul flights. Economy and Comfort class offer increased legroom and seat pitch. The spacious cabin, reduced noise and adaptive lighting create a relaxing atmosphere for passengers on board.

Punta Cana is a popular resort in the Dominican Republic famous for its white-sand beaches, crystal clear turquoise sea and stunning landscapes. Holiday-makers seeking outdoor activities will enjoy numerous diving opportunities and the rich underwater world: coral reefs, caves, shipwrecks.  The Dominican culture exquisitely blends the traditions of Native Indians (Taino) and Spanish conquistadors, African and European lifestyles. Tourists are attracted by museums, carnivals, Caribbean music, dance and cuisine.

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