Aeroflot Group is to invest some $58m in reconfiguring Boeing 737-800s for transfer to the fleet of its budget airline Pobeda. The group says it has postponed several investment projects as a result of the pandemic-driven air transport crisis. But during its half-year financial update the company states that it will not only reconfigure three Boeing 777-300ERs but also 50 737-800s. The $58m investment in the 737s includes refitting of 10 aircraft this year. Aeroflot Group is carrying out the interior layout change as part of a broad fleet restructuring under which Pobeda will receive 737-800s from other airlines in the company. This measure relates to the development strategy to 2028 under which Pobeda will expand to handle 55-65 million annual passengers. It will be the busiest of Aeroflot Group’s operators, with the mainline Aeroflot carrier transporting 35-40m and Rossiya taking 20-30m.<br/>
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Korean Air plans to entirely exit four-engined passenger aircraft within the next ten years. The carrier’s plans for its Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8I fleets were confirmed by chief executive Walter Cho in an interview with FlightGlobal. “The A380s will be leaving Korean Air’s fleet within five years, and the Boeing 747-8I fleet will also follow suit within ten years,” says Cho. According to Korean’s Q2 results presentation, it has 10 A380s and 10 747-8Is. The presentation also shows that the 747-400 is no longer a part of Korean’s operational fleet. Cirium fleets data suggests that nine of the A380s and eight of the 747-8Is are in storage. The average age of the A380s is 9.3 years, while that of the 747-8Is is 5.2 years. Korean will also inherit six Asiana Airlines A380s when its acquisition of the rival airline is completed, likely in a few years. Korean’s A380s are powered by the Engine Alliance GP7200, while Asiana’s are powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900. All six of Asiana’s A380s are in storage. “I believe the Boeing 777 is one of the most successful aircraft in aviation history,” says Cho. “If asked, I would say the B777-300ER is my favourite model. While I haven’t ruled out the Boeing 777X, there are some points that still need verification. I may consider it after that, but I don’t think we’ll have a large demand for new aircraft for some time as we already have a significant number of aircraft in operation or on order.”<br/>