Aeroflot sees increase in passenger traffic

Aeroflot, Russia’s national legacy airline, has posted impressive passenger traffic figures for the first two quarters of this year. According to the most recently revealed statistics, passenger figures between January and September have increased by more than 12%, when compared with the numbers from the same period last year. This increase translates into a total of 6.2 million passengers who flew with Aeroflot so far in 2007. While the carrier has increased its capacity on some routes, the current rise in passenger totals has also led to improved load factors on many domestic and international flights. In September 2007 alone, more than 750,000 people flew with Aeroflot, signifying a 1.9% increase when compared to the same month in 2006. Most of the success, however, has been generated on international routes, where load factors grew by 2.8% last month. Overall, Aeroflot’s load factor stands at an average of 74.3%, when taking into consideration both domestic and international routes.

Aeroflot is currently

Russia’s largest airline, although it does face stiff competition on some routes by privately-held rivals, such as the AiRUnion group of carriers. Unlike its competitors, the majority of Aeroflot’s shares are still controlled by the Russian state. Founded in 1923, Aeroflot operates a fleet of 86 aircraft, with an additional 124 planes currently on order. The carrier flies to 93 destinations and has its primary hub at Moscow’s

Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Aeroflot has changed significantly since the fall of the

Soviet Union in 1992. Yet one aspect of the carrier has remained the same, namely the logo, which still displays the old Soviet hammer and sickle. Although the majority of westerns associate this symbol with Communism, the image has a less pejorative meaning for many Russians and the airline is determined to maintain the symbol.

www.aeroflot.co.uk