Siberia Airlines To Get A319s

Siberia Airlines, or Sibir as it's officially called, announced that it will try to lease ten ex-Northwest Airlines Airbus A319s as it tries to phase out the aging Russian-built Tupolevs. As of now the airline operates six Airbus A310s, ten Boeing 737-500s, nine Ilyushin Il-86s, twenty-eight Tupolev Tu-154Ms and two Tu-204s. It plans to lease at least two more 737s and two more A310s this year, according to Flight International. Sibir will also obtain a leased 737-400 in June for charter work.

S7, as the airline markets itself, is trying to modernise its fleet - especially on domestic routes, which make up about 78% of its business. However, says the airline, the Russian airline industry has to worry about aging fleets and airports, rising fuel prices and overcapacity - there are 185 airlines in Russia. That's a lot for a nation that only has 35 million passengers, according to the airline.