Aeroflot confirms purchase of ex-Transaero fleet

Photo by Fyodor Borisov / Transport-Photo.com

Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot has confirmed its plan to use the fleet of its bankrupted rival Transaero, which stopped operations this fall.

Aeroflot has recently inked a number of deals with Russian lessors allowing the latter to put the ex-Transaero aircraft back into revenue operations.

On December 17, the airline signed a letter of intent with VEB-Leasing, Transaero’s largest Russian lessor, for nine Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 widebodies.

Earlier this month, Aeroflot signed a similar agreement with another ex-Transaero lessor, VTB Leasing. A source close to the talks told Russian Aviation Insider the deal covers 10 aircraft, mainly Boeing 747s, but also some Boeing 777s. VTB Leasing’s press service reports the company has finalized the transfer of 11 aircraft previously operated by Transaero, but does not specify the clients.

In October, Aeroflot signed a memorandum on leasing 14 narrowbody aircraft from Sberbank Leasing, another company owning a fleet of airframes previously operated by Transaero.

As was reported earlier, 24 of Transaero’s aircraft will end up with Aeroflot Group’s planned new airline Rossiya, to be established through the merger of the existing homonymous operator with Donavia and OrenAir (all three are subsidiaries of Aeroflot Group). According to the group’s recent presentation for investors, Rossiya will inherit from Transaero five Boeing 777s, five Boeing 767s, and 14 Boeing 747s.

Aeroflot currently operates 14 Boeing 737s and 96 aircraft of the Airbus A320 family (seven A319s, 63 A320s, and 26 A321s). The carrier’s fleet also includes 22 A330s, 13 Boeing 777s, and 22 Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) regional jets.