Aeroflot Group’s traffic increased 13.4%

Photo by Aeroflot

Aeroflot Group served 39.4 million passengers in 2015, a 13.4% increase from the 34.7 million in 2014. The parent airline Aeroflot itself carried 26.1 million passengers, up 10.6% from the previous year.

The load factor grew 0.5 percentage point to 78.3% for the entire group, and 1.1 percentage point to 79.3% for Aeroflot.

In line with the industry trend, domestic traffic showed double-digit growth, up 32.5% to 23.4 million passengers against 17.6 million in 2014. Aeroflot links the uptick to a 9.3% increase in flight capacity and frequency and growth in domestic tourism.

The expansion of Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, which launched operations in December 2014 and operates mostly within Russia, also contributed to the growth. The bankruptcy and exit from the market of Aeroflot’s main rival, Transaero, in October was another strong factor.

At the same time, 2015 marked a massive decline in international traffic, and Aeroflot Group on the whole was no exception to this market trend. The group’s international traffic fell 6.2% to slightly over 16 million passengers against 17.1 million in 2014. Devaluation of the national currency and a ban on flights to Egypt and Ukraine were among the strongest factors.

However, Aeroflot itself managed to increase its international traffic (7.8% to 13.4 million passengers) as well as its domestic traffic (13.7% to 12.7 million passengers) through taking over some of the international routes of its subsidiaries.

Last year, Aeroflot Group’s cumulative fleet was expanded with 13 Boeing 737-800s, three Airbus A319s, eight regional Sukhoi Superjet 100s and three wide-body Вoeing 777-300ERs. Nineteen of these aircraft (eight 737s, all SSJ100s and 777s) are now operated by Aeroflot itself.

At the same time, nine Boeing 737-800s, one А320 and two A319s, five Ilyushin Il-96s and two Boeing 767s were phased out. At the end of December 2015, the cumulative fleet numbered 256 aircraft. Part of Transaero’s fleet will be transferred to the Aeroflot Group this year.

The Aeroflot Group consists of Russia’s flag carrier, Aeroflot; its low-cost subsidiary, Pobeda; Far-East subsidiary Aurora; and three carriers, Rossiya, OrenAir and Donavia, which are currently merging and will start operating as a united Rossiya Airlines by spring of this year.

Aeroflot Group’s Russian market share at the end of 2015 stood at 37% including foreign carriers and 42% of air transport inside of Russia.