Aeroflot Group is preparing firm contracts for the supply of 52 Russian aircraft. The first two aircraft will arrive by the end of the year.
In September 2023, Aeroflot plans to conclude firm contracts with the leasing company Aviacapital Service (owned by Rostec) for the supply of 34 SJ100 short-haul aircraft and 18 medium-haul MS-21 aircraft.
Agreement with United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)
In September 2022, at the Eastern Economic Forum, Aeroflot signed an agreement with the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to supply 339 Russian-made aircraft with a delivery time from 2023 to 2030.
The first batch of Russian SJ100 and MS-21 to the Aeroflot group has become clear. MS-21 is intended for both Rossiya and Aeroflot itself. The first aircraft are expected at the end of 2024. The possibility of concluding firm contracts for the supply of Tu-214 aircraft is still being worked out.
Sanctions and the Shift to Domestic Aircraft
After the imposition of sanctions against the Russian aviation industry, Russian airlines lost the opportunity to purchase and lease foreign-made aircraft. The only opportunity to update the fleet was to obtain Russian-made equipment. Main aircrafts that Russian airlines are counting on are the short-haul SJ100 and medium-haul MS-21.
Sanctions on Russia: Aeroflot sends aircraft to Iran for maintenance
Overcoming Import Dependence
To overcome import dependence, an almost import-substituting version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100, called the SJ100, is being developed. The Aeroflot group will receive a 90% new aircraft.
The date of the first flight is not known. However, experts note that SJ100 type aircraft will be in demand by the Aeroflot Group, including for creating new regional hubs with expansion across Russian regions.
Aeroflot Group: A Key Player in the Russian Market
Aeroflot Group is the largest player in the Russian air transportation market. In seven months, it carried 26 million passengers. For the six months of 2023, the Aeroflot airline hit the 1.6 billion rubles (around 15,912 million dollars) net loss mark.
