Aeroflot odottaa jo

Hyvin pyyhkii myös idän suunnalla, jossa Aeroflotin alueellinen lentoyhtiö Aeroflot-Nord joutuu odotellessaan uutta An-148-konetta tyytymään vähäksi aikaa länsimaisiin ATR ja Boieng-koneisiin. Venäjän siviili-ilmailussa siis tapahtuu paljon, kun An-148 ja MS-21 saapuvat kilpailemaan Airbusin kyllästämille markkinoille. MS-21 on Tupolevin ja Ilyushin vastine A32S-sarjalle. Nykyisin uusin Tupolev-sarja kun on 1990-luvun Neuvostoliiton ajoilta TU-214.


Aeroflot's regional subsidiary Aeroflot-Nord is seeking to renew its fleet using western-built models as an interim measure.

The airline's plans for 2006 envisage taking operating leases on five aircraft, tentatively identifying Boeing 737s and/or ATR-42s as possible options.


Board chairman Alexander Kanischev says Aeroflot-Nord has made a decision to turn to the western market because of the lack of supply from domestic aircraft manufacturers.


"But it's only an interim solution," he adds. "We'll use foreign-built models until Russian-Ukrainian new Antonov An-148s become available in a couple of years, as we hope."


Aeroflot-Nord was established last October after Aeroflot gained control of Arkhangelsk Airlines.


Since the beginning of this year the carrier has increased passenger traffic by 15.5% to almost 100,000 passengers. It provides scheduled services on 29 routes from Arkhangelsk, including cross-border flights to Finland, Sweden and Norway.