Aeroflot set to resume fleet growth in 2020

Aeroflot Group will resume its fleet expansion in 2020 after earlier financial losses and problems with new deliveries disrupted plans this year. The group now expects to add 31 aircraft, which will mostly go to the parent carrier and its fastest-growing subsidiary, LCC Pobeda Airlines. The group planned to take 23 new aircraft in 2019 but received only eight. Two Boeing 737-300ER widebodies went to the parent airline, while six 737-800s were handed over to Pobeda, which had to postpone deliveries of 737 MAX 8s following the worldwide grounding in March. Aeroflot also expected to get the first batch of 10 Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jets from of its order for 100 aircraft of the type. Delivery of the SSJs, however, is still in limbo as the Russian government has been unable to find a source to finance the deal. The Aeroflot board recently approved the delivery of five SSJs in the 2019 fourth quarter when the state financial corporation VEB promised to secure financing by the year-end. The group withdrew 10 aircraft in 2019, including three Airbus A321s and two A320s from the parent airline. Aeroflot also lost one SSJ during a hard landing crash in Sheremetyevo airport in May. The group said it now needs more airliners because of an expected growth in its business performance. The consolidated group carried 46.7m passengers in the first nine months of the year, a 10.6% rise over the same period in 2018. <br/>