Aeroflot incurred a net loss in 2020 amid slumping revenue as passenger numbers were hammered by the Covid-19 crisis. “On the back of the deepest crisis in the history of aviation with [an] almost complete halt of international traffic in the second and third quarters and anti-epidemic measures in the Russian regions, which led to significant pressure on demand, the company’s net loss for the year amounted to Rb96.5b [$1.3b],” states the carrier, which had made a profit of Rb5.3bin 2019. Revenue almost halved, falling from from Rb552b to Rb228b. Aeroflot notes that its dramatic cuts to capacity, plus cost reductions and additional revenues from air cargo transport, helped to “partially minimise” the negative impact of the crisis on its results. Amid a near-total collapse in traffic during the initial weeks of the crisis, passenger numbers fell 85% year on year in the second quarter. This moderated to 67% in the following three months, and 59% in the fourth quarter as Aeroflot made efforts to restore capacity. Earnings were supported by “the continued restoration of international flights through frequency increases and resumption of flights to a number of destinations” as the year progressed, notes the airline. It operated 94% more international flights in Q4 than Q3, though passenger growth lagging behind, increasing 56%.<br/>
sky
Kenya Airways is removing seats on two of its Boeing 787s to increase capacity for pure freight flights. The airline says that it completed the first aircraft in January and has thereby become the first operator to configure a 787 for main-deck cargo transport. Up to 16t can be carried on the passenger deck under the modification, bringing the aircraft’s maximum cargo payload to 46t, the airline adds. Kenya conducted the modification in-house under supervision of Canadian MRO provider Avianor. The project represented a “unique design and certification challenge”, states Avianor CE Matthieu Duhaime. Kenya started using some of its nine 787s for cargo-only flights in 2020, but found that the seats limited cargo capacity. Noting growth in air cargo demand, the airline says that the reconfiguration project “demonstrates our agility, innovation and quick thinking… to keep essential goods moving across the globe”.<br/>