Aeroflot to equip its A320neos and MC-21s with high-speed Internet

Passengers flying on 81 of the airline’s A320ceos will be able to surf the web (Aeroflot)

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot is to equip all of its new Airbus A320neos and future Russian-made MC-21 aircraft with Internet access, Kirill Bogdanov, the airline’s deputy general of Information Technology, revealed during the 2019 Wings of the Future trade conference in Moscow.

Aeroflot also intends to install Internet access to 81 of its current generation A320ceos over the next two years.

“It’s crucial to our passengers to have an Internet connection whilst on board our aircraft. At the moment we’re not talking about news browsing, but about giving our clients the opportunity to use messaging systems and e-mails. This is what we can offer now,” explains Bogdanov.

At present, 32 mid-haul aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet have been installed with the wireless in-flight entertainment system (IFE).

The airline’s 22 Airbus A330 and 19 Boeing 777 long-haul airliners are already equipped with Internet access. Next year, the carrier will begin updating the web systems on board its wide-body fleet, a move which will increase browsing speeds, explains Bogdanov.

Meanwhile, as part of its on-going fleet renewal programme, Aeroflot is planning to take delivery of three A320neos and three A321neo aircraft next year.

Meanwhile, the first delivery of Russia’s advanced narrow-body MC-21 aircraft has been postponed until 2021. Aeroflot, the launch customer of the new type, has committed to 50 of the aircraft (to be leased through Avia Capital Services), with an option for 35 more.

by Ivan Volodin