Aeroflot Officially Returns to the Global Aviation Elite by Passenger Traffic

MOSCOW, July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Aeroflot has achieved a key strategic milestone and has once again occupied a spot among the world's top 20 leading airlines by passenger traffic, returning to this group for the first time in nearly thirty years. According to data compiled by Flight Airline Business, an authoritative aviation publication, Aeroflot Group in 2016 ranked 18th among global carriers in terms of passengers carried during the year.

In addition, the Group was ranked 20th in the world in terms of traffic as measured by revenue passenger kilometres. 

These achievements mean that Aeroflot has delivered on one of the key strategic targets of its 2025 Strategy - to become one of the top-20 global airlines by passenger traffic - significantly ahead of schedule.

In its analysis of the ranking, Flight Airline Business underscored the breakthrough character of Aeroflot's achievement amidst a challenging backdrop. The publication wrote, "Russian operators enjoyed a bright return to profits, after the exchange rate and geopolitical challenges that hit carrier fortunes. Aeroflot, for example, turned a net loss of Rb 6.5 billion ($108 mln) in 2015 to a profit of Rb 38.8 billion last year."  

Passengers carried globally increased by 6% year-on-year in 2016, reaching 3.4 billion, according to the publication. Aeroflot Group saw passenger traffic increase by 10.3% in the same period, nearly twice the pace of global growth.

Aeroflot Deputy CEO for Strategy and Alliances Giorgio Callegari said: "Six years ago when we adopted the 2025 Strategy, many of our competitors claimed that no Russian airline would join the global elite in the foreseeable future. Today, however, Aeroflot has not only returned to the world's top airlines by traffic, we have done it significantly faster than originally planned. We managed to achieve this despite the challenging macroeconomic situation, and while vastly improving the customer experience."

Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said: "Today we can proudly announce to citizens of Russia and the entire world that Aeroflot is officially back among the global passenger airline elite. After nearly 30 years we have regained our position as one of the strongest players in our sector globally. This is a reason to be proud and it strengthens Russia's status as a great aviation power, a key priority for us as the nation's flag carrier."

About Aeroflot 

Aeroflot is Russia's flagship carrier and a proud member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. Aeroflot and its partners serve 1,062 destinations in 177 countries worldwide. In 2016, Aeroflot carried 29 million passengers (43.4 million passengers as Aeroflot Group including subsidiaries). 

Aeroflot became the first Russian airline to be awarded Four Star Airline status by Skytrax in recognition of the high-quality of its customer service. In 2017, Aeroflot was named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the sixth time at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. 

In 2017, Aeroflot was named the most powerful brand in Russia and the world's strongest airline brand by leading valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance. Aeroflot was also named Best Major Airline in Europe by TripAdvisor travellers and recognised as the Favourite International Airline in China at the Flyer Award Ceremony 2017. 

Aeroflot operates one of the youngest fleets in the world with 199 aircraft. Aeroflot is based in Moscow, at Sheremetyevo International Airport. 

Aeroflot is among the global leaders in aviation safety, with a European Community Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) Index, the main globally recognized safety parameter, comparable to global peers. 

The first Russian carrier to enter the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) register, renewing its registration for the seventh time in 2017, Aeroflot has successfully passed the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) and is fully ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2004 compliant. 

Find out more at http://www.aeroflot.com.