Russian airline Aeroflot will dismantle eight Boeing freighters to keep its passenger fleet flying, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service. The aircraft are believed to be from the Volga-Dnepr Group, the parent company of AirBridgeCargo and Atran Airlines.

These aircraft reportedly include six Boeing 737-800BCFs and two Boeing 747-400Fs. They will be transferred to Aeroflot subsidiaries Pobeda and Rossiya Airlines through financial leasing arrangements. The financing will reportedly come from Russia's National Welfare Fund.

The plan underscores the increasing pressure on the Russian aviation industry, which has been struggling with a shortage of spare parts and has struggled to keep Western aircraft operational since the imposition of international sanctions.

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country had an estimated fleet of 1,500 to 1,800 Western-built commercial aircraft. Meanwhile, the need to find creative 'and expensive' solutions to keep those planes in the air is growing.

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)

On Mon 6-Oct-2025 11:43p, Aviation Hq@2:292/854.0 wrote:

Russian airline Aeroflot will dismantle eight Boeing freighters to keep
its passenger fleet flying (remainder cut by Rug Rat for reply relavence!)

These aircraft reportedly include six Boeing 737-800BCFs and two Boeing 747-400Fs. They will be transferred to Aeroflot subsidiaries Pobeda and Rossiya Airlines through financial leasing arrangements. The financing
will reportedly come from Russia's National Welfare Fund.

Interesting, I was not even aware the Russians flew any passenger 747s, though I see that Rossiya does indeed have 747-400s. I am currious what parts are interchangeable between the 747-8 and -400s (Which Rossiya has 12).

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
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Interesting, I was not even aware the Russians flew any passenger 747s, though I see that Rossiya does indeed have 747-400s. I am currious what parts are interchangeable between the 747-8 and -400s (Which Rossiya has 12).

Rossiya inherited nine Boeing 747-400 aircraft from the bankrupt Transaero in 2016 and was using some of them for domestic flights.

It had planned to retire the 747s by the end of 2024, with the fleet modernization expected to be completed by then.

Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine have made it challenging to maintain and operate these aircraft due to a lack of spare parts.

Despite the challenges, Rossiya returned some 747-400 to passenger service for domestic routes, such as flights between Moscow and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and Sochi.

It is cannibalising some of the grounded 747s for spare parts to keep others flying.

At the moment there is only 1 -400 in service. They have no -800s.

Transaero originally had two 747-800 on order but at the time of the bankruptcy in 2015 they were not delivered and went into desert storage.

These two aircraft were obtained by the US Air Force in 2019 (being 4 years old at the time) for conversion into the next-generation Air Force One (VC-25B). These modifications are complex and costly, involving structural changes and extensive security upgrades, and are still ongoing.

The U.S. Air Force chose to modify these existing airframes for the VC-25B program, aiming to create the new presidential aircraft rather than purchase new-build jets.

These aircraft were moved to Boeing's San Antonio facility in 2019 for conversion and have since faced significant delays and cost overruns due to the complex modifications required.

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)

Aviation HQ wrote to Rug Rat <=-

Rossiya inherited nine Boeing 747-400 aircraft from the bankrupt
Transaero in 2016 and was using some of them for domestic flights.

That seems expensive. Admittedly, Russia is a big place, but it's all
over land, a smaller 2-engine plane should do fine.


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On Wed 8-Oct-2025 1:08a, Aviation Hq@2:292/854.0 said to Rug Rat:

Interesting, I was not even aware the Russians flew any passenger

747s,

though I see that Rossiya does indeed have 747-400s. I am currious

what

parts are interchangeable between the 747-8 and -400s (Which Rossiya

has

12).

Rossiya inherited nine Boeing 747-400 aircraft from the bankrupt Transaero in 2016 and was using some of them for domestic flights.

It had planned to retire the 747s by the end of 2024, with the fleet modernization expected to be completed by then.

Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine have made it challenging to maintain and operate these aircraft due to a lack of spare parts.

AirBridge Cargo (Volga Dnepr) does have 20 747-8fF,s

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
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Rossiya inherited nine Boeing 747-400 aircraft from the bankrupt
Transaero in 2016 and was using some of them for domestic flights.

That seems expensive. Admittedly, Russia is a big place, but it's all
over land, a smaller 2-engine plane should do fine.

The Laws of Economics maybe were not written in Russian ?

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)

AirBridge Cargo (Volga Dnepr) does have 20 747-8fF,s

For the past year AirBridge Cargo has suspended its services as it has no aircraft anymore. All airplanes have been returned to its lessor.

The historic fleet consisted of:

1 Boeing 737-400SF
5 Boeing 747-200F
1 Boeing 747-300SF
12 Boeing 747-400F
13 Boeing 747-8F
1 Boeing 777F

The 747-8F were the lastones to leave the fleet in 2024.

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)