Aeroflot, Russian national carrier, has taken delivery of its first A320 aircraft equipped with sharklets, becoming the first in Russia to benefit from these new fuel saving wing tip devices. Aeroflot’s A320, powered by CFM56 engines, features a comfortable two class cabin, seating 158 passengers with 8 in business class and 150 in economy. The aircraft is named after a famous Russian chemist Alexander Butlerov.
Sharklets are newly designed wing-tip devices that improve the aircraft’s aerodynamics and cut the airline’s fuel burn and emissions by up to four per cent on longer sectors. They are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 meters tall.
Aeroflot was the first airline in Russia to operate the A310, with an entry into service in 1992, as well as the first to operate the A320 Family in 2003. The airline is operating the biggest Airbus fleet in the region with 90 A320 Family aircraft and 22 A330 Family aircraft.