Aeroflot A330-300

Russian national carrier Aeroflot has taken the delivery of long-haul A330-300 from Airbus, marking its 100th aircraft from the manufacturer to enter service.

The fleet now comprises 79 A320 aeroplanes and 21 A330 jett, including the new aircraft, which Aeroflot plans to deploy on its medium and long-haul network routes.

Aeroflot’s new A330-300 is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines; it features a two-class cabin layout for 296 passengers, with 268 seats in economy class and the remaining in the business class.

"We are convinced that the carrier will continue to benefit from the most efficient Airbus family fleet."

Aeroflot was the first Russian carrier to operate the A310 aircraft, which entered into service in 1992. It was also the first to operate the A320 and A330, which entered into service in 2003 and 2008 respectively.

Commenting on the partnership Airbus chief operating officer – customers John Leahy said: "We are convinced that the carrier will continue to benefit from the most efficient Airbus Family fleet, while its passengers will continue to enjoy the highest level of comfort on board Airbus aircraft".

Airbus said that the A330-300 aircraft offer fuel efficiency, feature flight-by-wire technology and advanced onboard systems, which provide high aerodynamic efficiency. It covers a range of 5,450 nautical miles, with a maximum takeoff weight capacity of 240t.

In October 2012, Turkish Airlines has placed an order with the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for 15 long-haul A330-300 aircraft.

Airbus has received more than 1,200 firm orders for the A330 family, which includes variants such as freighter, VIP, and military transport/tanker. In addition, it has some 900 aircraft flying with 90 operators worldwide.

Image: Aeroflot’s fleet now reaches 100, out of which 79 are A320 family airplanes and 21 are A330 family jets. Photo: courtesy of H Goussé – Airbus SAS, 2010.