Airlines Aeroflot announces new strategy

The plan can undoubtedly be described as ambitious: Aeroflot is targeting 90-100 million passengers in 2023, when the airline celebrates its centenary. With 50.1 million passengers in 2017, Aeroflot's passenger count should double within six years.

In order to achieve the objectives, a number of measures were presented. Aeroflot’s low cost subsidiary Pobeda should become a key driver for the planned growth and is expected to carry up to 30 million passengers per year in 2023. Rossiya Airlines should be developed into a mid-market airline, offering connections between Europe and Far East parts of Russia.

The second goal of the Strategy is to increase international transit traffic from 5 million passengers in 2017 to 10-15 million in 2023. According to the statement, Aeroflot wants to increase its market share on connection flights between Europe and Asia.

The third goal is to open regional hubs across Russia by 2023. Aeroflot aims to create three regional hubs in Sochi, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, as well as one international hub in Krasnoyarsk. The Group plans to almost triple regional traffic from 7 million passengers in 2017 to 19 million passengers in 2023.

To reach the ambitious goals, Aeroflot will add 200 Russian-built aircraft in the next years. By 2026, Aeroflot wants to operate 200 smaller SSJ100 superjets and larger MC-21. The entire fleet, including Airbus and Boeing aircraft, will then have 520 aircraft.

In addition to the other goals, Aeroflot announced to increase the level of digitalization in the entire company.

Aeroflot is the largest airline of the Russian Federation. With a fleet of over 245 aircraft, the carrier operates flights from its hub at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport. Aeroflot is the parent company of the airlines Aurora, Pobeda and Rossiya Airlines.