Aeroflot raises 2030 passenger traffic target from 65 mln to 80 mln people

MOSCOW. June 10 (Interfax) - Aeroflot Group plans to reach 80 million passengers by 2030 under its updated development strategy, CEO Sergei Alexandrovsky said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

"We had an extensive discussion both within the company and at the board level, but we've set 80 million passengers as our target. Much will undoubtedly depend on the delivery schedule of new domestic aircraft - without this, achieving these figures would certainly be challenging," Alexandrovsky said.

The group's previous strategy, approved in 2022, envisioned reaching 65 million annual passengers by 2030 (compared to 55.3 million carried in 2024, +17% year-on-year). The fleet was projected to grow to 500 aircraft (currently, it is 349 + 3 under wet lease), with 70% expected to be domestically produced planes including 339 aircraft under a framework agreement with United Aircraft Corporation.

The group's management previously announced the update of its strategy. No radical changes are expected, and the schedules for new aircraft deliveries and old fleet retirement will be adjusted, Aeroflot Director for Investor Relations and Capital Markets Andrei Napolnov said. The company maintains its plan to acquire Russian aircraft, though deliveries are expected with delays, he said. Meanwhile, the maintenance of foreign aircraft is being performed "ahead of schedule, which is very important," he said.

Group subsidiary Rossiya Airlines plans to transition exclusively to MC-21 medium-haul aircraft as part of fleet replacement, Alexandrovsky told Rossiya-24. The cabins will feature economy and comfort configurations. Aeroflot also plans to build additional hangars capable of simultaneously servicing up to 10 MC-21s, he said. Current hangar space allows parallel maintenance of 3 wide-body and 18 narrow-body aircraft.

Aeroflot is Russia's largest aviation group that unites the airline of the same name and Pobeda and Rossiya airlines. The government controls 73.8% of the company's shares, 1.2% are quasi-treasury securities, management owns 0.0001%, and 25% are in free float on the Moscow Exchange.