Aeroflot will become the first airline in Russia to use wet-leasing for aircrafts. Preliminary agreements have been reached for the lease of three wide-body Airbus A330 from the Russian air carrier iFly. The planes will be transferred to Aeroflot along with crews.  Following the transfer, the total number of Airbus A330 aircraft in the airline’s fleet will reach 15.

Aeroflot plans to operate the leased long-haul liners on domestic flights within Russia. Initially, flights operated in iFly aircraft under the SU code will supplement Aeroflot’s existing services from Moscow to the Russian Far East during peak demand period:

–  From December 22 to January 12, Moscow to Vladivostok and back – 12 round trips;

–  From December 25 to January 11, Moscow to Vladivostok to Khabarovsk and back – 13 round trips;

–  From December 25 to January 13, Moscow to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back – 12 round trips;

–  From December 28 to January 10, Moscow to Petropavlovsk- Kamchatsky and back – 4 round trips.

Ticket sales are open. In the future, iFly aircraft are expected be used for regular flights within Aeroflot’s flight program on routes from Moscow to Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Petropavlovsk- Kamchatsky.

The federal law on Amendments to the Air Code, which legalizes wet-leasing was signed by the President Vladimir Putin on August 8, 2024.  The amendments came into effect on September 1, 2024.

«A wet lease agreement or the leasing of an aircraft» with crew for domestic flights, is a new mechanism that will contribute to the development of civil aviation in our country. It will allow carriers using wet leasing to quickly increase fleet, for example, during the period of high demand or when new routes emerge. For the airline leasing out the aircraft, it provides an opportunity to reduce costs on commercial fleet management and labor expenses. Therefore, wet-leasing will positively impact the operations of all parties involved, ultimately benefitting the volume of air transportation and mobility for our citizens», explained Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsiya.

To enter into a wet-lease agreement, both sides (parties) must have valid operator certificate. The leaser is responsible for airworthiness support and crew compliance requirements of federal law.

«Implementing wet-lease is a modern and effective solution, providing additional tools to increase transportation volume and improve transport accessibility of regions, which is highly important in current terms, mentioned Aeroflot CEO Sergey Alexandrovsky. Moreover, we are expecting opportunities for further expansion, it would allow Russian air carriers to lease aircrafts from foreign companies either, and operate this aircrafts on international routes.»