High fuel prices have caused Aeroflot Cargo to drop its plans to add two more DC-10 freighters to its present longhaul fleet of four.
The additional two had been intended as an interim measure, ahead of the scheduled arrival of the first of six leased MD-11Fs in mid2007 (IFW, 16 October).
Aeroflot Cargo CEO Andrey Goryashko said: "The fuel situation has changed the economics of operating DC-10Fs." Plans to acquire four smaller Tupolev 204 freighters to develop intra-Russian hub operations have also changed.
"The lead times for delivery were very long so to expedite the process, we have decided to go for four B737-300Fs – there are plenty of those available for lease, " said Goryashko.
The Russian operator, which recently became a whollyowned subsidiary company of parent airline Aeroflot, last week received its own air operator's certificate (AOC).
The process had been delayed because a couple of aircraft accidents earlier this year had caused a tightening of airline regulations in Russia.
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