newstodate.aero

Apr 06, 2022 (newstodate): Russia is currently re-calculating its needs for aircraft to serve the country's expected passenger flow in times of western sanctions.
   According to the country's Ministry of Transportation, Russia expects the Russian air passenger market to reach some 90 mio domestic and 10 mio international passengers in 2022 - a far cry from pre-Covid 2019 when Russian airlines transported 128 passengers; in 2020 passenger volumes dropped to 69 mio passengers, rebounding to 111 mio passengers in 2021.
   To serve a market of 100 mio passengers in 2022, Russia will need "only" 670 aircraft of the 1,188 now in commercial service, of which the major part are on lease with foreign aircraft lessors - arrangements now very much disputed.
   According to the ministry, Russia has re-registered some 900 aircraft to bring the fleet under Russian control and beyond the reach of their western lessors and sanctions on the country's aviation industry.