Aeroflot will reveal its long-haul airliner selection this week, following an evaluation of the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787.
The airline says it is plans to announce a winning long-haul bidder on 3 November. “Our long-term plan envisages acquiring up to 22 long-range passenger aircraft,” says director for route network management Alexander Kanischev. He adds that the airline wants deliveries to start in 2009. If the airline decides to go with Airbus, it would have to wait a little longer for first deliveries as the A350 is not due to enter service until mid-2010.
The planned acquisition of Boeing MD-11 freighters for the airline’s newly formed “Aeroflot-Cargo” subsidiary is being tied to the prospective 787 deal, says the division’s director Igor Desyatnichenko. Aeroflot has been unsuccessful so far in its efforts to acquire secondhand MD-11Fs to replace its four leased McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 freighters.
Meanwhile, the airline’s medium-range fleet is being expanded after board approval to acquire five A320s on lease from RBS Aerospace and seven A321s on 12-year financial leases direct from Airbus.
TOM ZAITSEV/VLADIMIR KARNOZOV/MOSCOW
Source: Flight International
