VIM Airlines takes delivery of eighth Boeing 777

The first 777 entered service with the airline last year (Alf van Beem / Wikipedia)

Russia’s VIM Airlines has taken its first aircraft delivery in 2017. The Boeing 777 widebody arrived at the carrier’s Domodedovo base earlier this week, but apparently has not entered revenue service yet. This will be the airline’s seventh of the type.

According to open sources, the aircraft, registration code VP-BIC, is of the same 777-200ER version as the six airframes already in operation with VIM. It made its first flight in 1998 and was previously operated by Emirates.

VIM Airlines says the newly arrived airliner has a three-class cabin configuration, with a total of 274 seats: 12 in first class, 42 in business, and 220 in economy.

The airline received its first 777 in 2016; prior to that, the carrier had no widebody aircraft in its fleet. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency’s registry, VIM also operates two Boeing 767-300s, one Airbus A330-200, four A319s, two Boeing 737-500s, and six 757-200s.

One of the carrier’s 737-500s (registration code VP-BVS) was grounded after a runway overrun at Riga on February 17. The airline confirmed to Russian Aviation Insider that the airliner is still in Riga. Both its Boeing 767s have been taken out of operation as well. The carrier declined to comment on its plans regarding these aircraft.

VIM Airlines saw its traffic grow 30.2% year-on-year in 2016, to 2.076 million passengers. In January and February this year its traffic demonstrated further growth of 17.6%.