26 November 2018, Moscow – Aeroflot’s Public Council today held its final meeting of 2018. The meeting was chaired by Tatiana Tarasova, the legendary Russian and Soviet figure-skating coach.
The main item on the agenda was Aeroflot’s Strategy 2023 targeting “100 Million Passengers by Aeroflot’s 100th Anniversary”. The Council learned about the key elements of the new strategy, which was previously endorsed by President Vladimir Putin.
In the next five years, Aeroflot and its subsidiaries are planning to sharply increase passenger traffic to strengthen Russia's position among the world’s largest airlines. The Group is now targeting up to 100 million passengers in 2023. At the same time, the volume of transit traffic is expected to increase threefold, while raising Aeroflot’s status of a global airline that dominates one of the most important and competitive international markets – the Europe-Asia transit segment. Russia’s national carrier will increase the availability of air transportation for Russian citizens, particularly on inter-regional routes that bypass Moscow. By 2023, Aeroflot will open four regional hubs across Russia: in Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, and an international hub in Krasnoyarsk. The company is the main partner of the domestic aircraft manufacturing industry and by 2026 is going to increase the share of Russian-built aircraft in the Group's fleet to as many as 200 aircraft, leveraging modern SSJ-100 and MC-21 aircraft that are proving competitive in the global market. Aeroflot today is one of the most digital airlines in the world. The new strategy leaves room for adopting more cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence.
“In the outgoing year, Aeroflot marked its 95th anniversary by strengthening its position as a member of the global civil aviation elite,” said Vitaly Saveliev, CEO of Aeroflot. “By our 100-year anniversary we are targeting a whole new level across our key areas of operation. Our goal is not just record quantitative indicators, but also a leading position in operational efficiency, digitalisation, service, and most importantly - an unprecedented increase in the availability of air transportation for Russians.”
Another important topic for discussion was the flat-fare programme, which Aeroflot first launched in 2015 to ensure affordable transport accessibility to Crimea, Kaliningrad and the Russian Far East. Public Council members were interested how Aeroflot can keep the price below the base cost in light of rising expenses in the industry. The airline’s management underlined that it is unacceptable to increase fixed low-fare tariffs for remote and strategic regions of Russia. Notably, Aeroflot’s subsidiary Rossiya Airlines will take up part of flat-fare traffic to the Far East in order to maintain an affordable price, thus decreasing the average flat-fare by the Aeroflot Group, and increasing the number of available flat-fare tickets. At the same time, Rossiya’s comfort and service on the Far Eastern flights match that of Aeroflot’s premium service.
“Today we discussed very important topics,” said Tatiana Tarasova. “These are matters of national importance. Moreover, they are of significant importance for every Russian. The future of Russia as a whole, its economy, infrastructure, and attractiveness depend on how affordable air transportation is for passengers in all income brackets. The Public Council fully supports Aeroflot's initiatives to strengthen its transportation network in ways that best allow it to meet the strategic goals.”
The Public Council of Aeroflot is a consultative and advisory body that has been operating since 2014. It helps the company maintain dialogue with society and respond to its needs. Aeroflot’s Public Council includes 24 members who work free of charge and rotate on an annual basis. They include representatives of business, media, public organizations, professional associations, culture and sports.