Aeroflot took delivery of the first of four Airbus A320neo family airplanes leased from CDB Aviation, the Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing.
The A320neo will be configured to accommodate 12 passengers in Business class and 144 in Economy. Two more should be delivered by the end of May 2021, followed by an A321neo. The leasing order was placed in 2019.
“We are pleased to expand our strategic relationship between Aeroflot and CDB Aviation,” noted Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation Chief Commercial Officer, adding that “these modern aircraft will deliver the right mix of operational efficiency and flexibility” to support Aeroflot’s fleet optimization.
The Russian flag carrier currently operates 61 Airbus A320s and 33 A321s, but none in a re-engined version, unlike its rival S7 Airlines which has 27 A320neos and four A321neos in service.
Aeroflot also expects the delivery of the first Irkut MC-21-300 before the end of 2021. The Russian plane manufacturer received the first wing made of domestic composite materials on May 14, 2021.