Expects to end year 16.9% up on 1999 (150 words)

Published: 12/20/2000

150 Aeroflot reports that it has carried 100,000 tonnes of cargo during 2000 exceeding the 89,500 tonnes of cargo carried in 1999. Carrying the 100,000th tonne on its passenger route Moscow-Tokyo. According to a spokesman for Aeroflot by the end of the year the airline plans to carry an additional 4,000 tonnes, leaving the cargo business therefore 16.2% higher than 1999. Aeroflot currently carries cargo and mail to 66 countries on its passenger and cargo routes. The airline is however, unhappy about the performance of its aging fleet of 13 cargo aircraft (12 Il-76 and 1 DC-10). The Il-76 in particular is viewed as being fuel inefficient, although the problem may be mitigated by the expected arrival of a Pratt & Whitney powered Il-96T during the summer of 2001.One of three Il-96Ts the airline has committed to. Aeroflot operates 12 regular cargo routes to Europe, Japan, UAE, China, South Korea, India, and Thailand.

Article ID: 2255