Aeroflot's restructuring is moving forward, with the airline's board approving the transfer of the first Sukhoi Superjet's to Rossiya. In a board meeting, the carrier approved the transfer of 42 Superjets to various subsidiary airlines. The move is a part of Aeroflot's restructuring to become a five-star airline as rated by SKYTRAX.

Transfer underway

A few weeks ago, we found that Aeroflot is drawing up plans to transfer its entire Superjet fleet by 2022. The planes will go to Rossiya, an Aeroflot subsidiary that primarily operates on domestic and regional routes.

This week, Aeroflot's board approved the first transfer of Superjets from Aeroflot to several companies. Under the plan, 37 aircraft will go to Rossiya in the form of a sublease (since they have a single parent), while five will go to a lessor called "PSB Aviaprofleasing LLC."

According to FlightGlobal, 10 Superjets will make the jump by the end of 2020. This includes all five from PSB Aviaprofleasing and five from the other transfer. The remaining 32 planes will be slowly phased through 2021, with 12 in the first quarter, 13 in the second, and the last seven by August.

Aeroflot operates a fleet of 52 Superjets, which means the remaining 10 will likely be transferred at some point in 2021, along with future orders. The transfer will officially make Aeroflot an all-Airbus and Boeing carrier.

Getting all five stars

The move will see Aeroflot's fleet shrink to 182 aircraft, consisting of the A320, 737, A330, 777, and A350. As mentioned, Aeroflot has laid about an ambitious 30/30 plan, which will see it become a five-star airline, increase traffic and drop fares by 30%. The goal to achieve these targets is 2028, making Aeroflot a premium airline.

Other airlines with a five-star rating include ANA, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Lufthansa, and more. The list is currently dominated by Asia-Pacific airlines, with only Lufthansa and Qatar being the exceptions. However, questions have been raised about the organization's ranking methodology over the years.

Aeroflot also took delivery of its first A350-900 this year but has since delayed more aircraft due to the current downturn. While international flights are still low, Russia's domestic market has bounced back impressively in the last few months. In fact, Aeroflot's low-cost airline Podeba has even seen an increase in traffic.

Speaking to Simple Flying, Aeroflot's PR Director Michael Demin said,

"Though all key business segment posted improved performance in the third quarter, Pobeda’s results deserve particular attention as virtually the first airline and the only major carrier anywhere in the world to grow passenger numbers in Q3 2020, with traffic up by 12.0% year-on-year, and the load factor recovering to 95%"

With the domestic market showing an impressive recovery, Aeroflot is hoping for international flights to open up soon too. 2021 could be the year Aeroflot has been hoping for, allowing it to reinvent its image.

What do you think about Aeroflot's plan? Can the carrier become a five-star airline soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!