Russia’s Aeroflot reports 95pc April passenger drop

MOSCOW, May 25 — Russia’s biggest carrier Aeroflot today said it registered a 95 per cent drop in passengers in April compared to last year, as the coronavirus ground travel to a halt.

The Aeroflot Group carried 11.4 million passengers in the first four months of 2020, which is 34.7 per cent less than the same period last year, it said in a statement.

The drop was especially precipitous in April, when the company carried 229,000 passengers, down 95.2 per cent year-on-year.

The results are explained by the “dynamics of demand and significant flight restrictions” imposed by Russia and destination countries, Aeroflot said.

Aeroflot Group, which includes low-cost carrier Pobeda and domestic airlines based in Saint Petersburg and the Far East, expects to gradually increase the number of flights across Russia in June.

Russia’s Rosaviatsia air transport agency banned most regular and charter international flights starting from March 23.

Aeroflot has since been transporting Russian citizens requesting evacuations from abroad. — AFP