Fleet expansion includes Boeing freighters sourced from grounded Volga-Dnepr operations, potentially for spare parts rather than operations
Aeroflot Group has disclosed that eight aircraft – including freighters – have been introduced to the company’s fleet over the third quarter.
The Russian operator said the fleet expanded with two Boeing 747-400ERFs and two 737-800BCFs, all of which were placed with subsidiary Rossiya.
Aeroflot Group has not specified the source of the freighters but Volga-Dnepr Group’s scheduled cargo arm AirBridgeCargo (ABC) and its associate Atran operated both types.
ABC operated 747Fs while Atran operated 737Fs.
Air Cargo News reported in September that Aeroflot was interested in buying Boeing freighters owned by the Volga-Dnepr Group.
At the time, Russian news service Kommersant reported that the Aeroflot Group would receive a total of eight freighter aircraft - six Boeing 737-800Fs and two Boeing 747-400Fs.
The publication said that the aircraft are most likely to be used as spare parts for aircraft operated by the Aeroflot Group, rather than being operated as freighters.
The Russian airline industry has faced challenges acquiring spare parts for its Western aircraft as a result of sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Volga-Dnepr Group’s western aircraft have essentially been grounded as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, as a result of sanctions that stop Volga-Dnepr airlines from operating over European and North American airspace, while lessors have been chasing their return.
Meanwhile, it was also reported in September that the Volga-Dnepr Group could be sold to the ex-chief executive of Red Wings Airlines, Yevgeny Solodilin.
