Red Wings, the biggest Tu-204 operator, carried 858,551 passenger past year, exceeding the respective figure for 2009 by 29.74%.

The carrier, also known as the Airlines-400, says its aircraft spent 18,152 hours in the air during 2010. This is 26.92% more than in 2009.

With a fleet of eight airplanes, Red Wings performed 4,963 revenue flights in 2010, which is 29.17% above the figure for the previous year.

Red Wings is unique by the fact that it operates only Russian-made narrow body jetliners of the recent generation. In 2007 it acquired three Tu-204-100s on the secondary market, the airframes with registration RA-64018, RA-64019 and RA-64020. In 2008 it took delivery of five new Tu-204-100V jetliners new from Aviastar-SP factory. The following year it added RA-64049 and RA-64050.

The airline is negotiating purchase of 44 improved Tu-204SM aircraft, the deal would be funded by National Reserve Corporation and structured by Ilyushin Finance Co.