Aviation

Aeroflot named world’s leading airline brand

Aeroflot begins flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport

11 December 2017, Moscow — Aeroflot has taken the prestigious World’s Leading Airline Brand 2017 prize at the World Travel Awards, the first time the nomination has been awarded.

Known as the Oscars of the tourism industry, the World Travel Awards are given every year to leading tour firms, hotels and airlines. Country-level and regional awards take place during the year, followed by the world event. Winners are decided by an online vote that attracts hundreds of thousands of travel professionals and millions of travellers to take part. The key criteria are product quality and level of service.

The global WTA ceremony took place on 10 December at the renowned Vietnamese island resort of Phu Quoc. Aeroflot took the World’s Leading Airline Brand nomination in a highly competitive field including carriers such as Emirates. “This award is a great honour for us, and also a well deserved result,” said Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev. “The World Travel Awards are the Oscars of the tourism industry, and to triumph in such a prestigious category has taken many years of work. Today Aeroflot is one of the world’s top-20 airlines by passenger numbers. We hold 4-Star Airline status from Skytrax and were recently named a Five Star Global Airline by US passenger association APEX. I am proud that we have been recognised as the world’s leading aviation brand.

Aeroflot will do everything it can to hold on to this title going forward.” Earlier this year Aeroflot won two key categories at the regional World Travel Awards: Europe’s Leading Airline Brand and Europe’s Leading Airline – Business Class. This result meant Russia’s flagship carrier was able to advance to the global awards, something no other Russian company has previously achieved.

In February Aeroflot was named the world’s most powerful airline brand by Brand Finance, the leading authority on brand value and strategy. Aeroflot was also named the most powerful brand in Russia in any sector.

Related Topics:Aeroflot best airline in the world Russia

Aviation

Aeroflot Buys Used Planes for Spare Parts Amid Sanctions

In the face of ongoing Western sanctions that have severely impacted Russia’s aviation industry, Aeroflot, the country’s largest airline, has devised a strategic plan to bolster its fleet’s spare parts inventory.

The airline is set to acquire five Boeing 737-800BCF freighters from Atran Airlines, a move that will allow it to dismantle the aircraft for critical components. The planes, which will be transferred to Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, will not be converted into passenger jets but instead will be stripped for valuable parts to support existing operations.

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Aeroflot’s plan to purchase these Boeing 737-800BCF freighters comes as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, which have crippled the Russian aviation sector. With the sanctions restricting access to essential aircraft parts and spare components, Aeroflot is exploring alternative ways to maintain and repair its fleet.

Instead of converting the freighters from cargo to passenger planes, a process deemed “unreasonably expensive” under current sanctions, the airline intends to focus on extracting high-value components such as engines, landing gear, avionics, and other essential systems.

The deal will be structured in a way that allows Aeroflot to indirectly purchase the freighters through an insurance settlement with the aircraft’s lessor, AerCap.

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The Russian government’s insurance company will reimburse the aircraft’s value, and the planes will then be leased back to local operators. This method circumvents some of the restrictions imposed by international sanctions while ensuring that the airline gains access to the necessary components to support its fleet.

By dismantling the aircraft for spare parts, Aeroflot aims to secure critical resources for the ongoing maintenance of its existing fleet. Components from the Boeing 737-800BCF freighters, such as engines and avionics, are expected to be reused in other aircraft within Aeroflot’s network, ensuring that the airline can keep its operations running smoothly