Aeroflot Group intends to take delivery of more than 100 MC-21-300s by 2030, chief executive Sergei Aleksandrovsky said in an interview with TV channel Russia-24. The company has already begun preparing for operations with the new type, whose production was only recently green-lighted by Russia’s civil aviation regulator (Rosaviatsiya).
Aleksandrovsky said that many pilots had expressed interest in retraining for the new aircraft type. He added that Aeroflot Group expects to construct up to four additional hangars for MC-21-300s, enabling it to service up to ten jets simultaneously.
The airline's delivery targets align with Rostec's plan for the production of 200 Russian-made jets by 2030. However, UAC United Aircraft Corporation has yet to conduct certification flights of the fully import-substituted MC-21-300 powered by Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines. According to UAC, serial production of the aircraft will commence in 2026.
Aeroflot Group is expecting the arrival of 198 MC-21-300s on lease from Avia Capital Services. Additionally, it is awaiting delivery of forty Tu-214s and fifty-five SJ 100s from the same lessor, ch-aviation Commercial Aviation Aircraft Data reveals.
Aeroflot currently operates fifty-two A320-200s, six A320-200Ns, thirty-two A321-200s, three A321-200NX, twelve A330-300s, seven A350-900s, thirty-six B737-800s, and twenty-two B777-300ERs.
Rossiya to focus on one type
Aleksandrovsky revealed that Aeroflot subsidiary Rossiya would consolidate its fleet around the MC-21-300, removing other aircraft types including widebody jets.
"As the fleet is replaced, we plan to switch to operating only medium-haul aircraft. Currently, Rossiya Airlines operates long-haul aircraft as well. We plan to operate only MC-21 aircraft in economy and comfort class [premium economy] configurations, and now there is also a business class," he told Russia-24.
Rossiya currently operates several different aircraft types in a fleet comprising seventeen A319-100s, eight A320-200s, twelve B737-800s, two B737-900ERs, nine B747-400s, five B777-300s, five B777-300ERs, and seventy-five SSJ 100/95Bs.
ch-aviation data shows that Rossiya is set to receive thirty-four SJ 100s and sixty-three MC-21-300s. Once these are delivered to Rossiya, the SJ 100s will be leased out to other carriers, Aleksandrovsky stated.
Russian carriers are banned from obtaining Western-made aircraft due to EU and US sanctions. The Russian government has doubled down on efforts to substitute foreign aircraft with domestic alternatives since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
