Transaero passenger traffic grows 27.2% in 2011

Transaero Airlines (UN) carried 8.453 million passengers in 2011, up 27.2% compared to 2010, the carrier said in a statement. RPKs increased to 33,180 million, up 26.2% over 2010.

The Moscow-based carrier opened 22 routes from Sheremetyevo (SVO) and Domodedovo (DME) airports and Pulkovo (LED) in St. Petersburg. It launched 23 flights from regional airports in Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Ufa. Domestic boardings rose 30% and international boardings increased 26.8%.

As part of the carrier’s 2011 fleet modernization program, it grounded all Boeing 747-200s and added 17 new aircraft, comprising two 777-300s, one 777-200, seven 747-400s and seven 737s.

In 2011, UN committed to four 747-8s (ATW Daily News, Nov. 9), four 787s (ATW Daily News, Dec. 26), four Airbus A380s (ATW Daily News, Oct. 31) and eight A320neos (ATW Daily News, Aug. 17).