How Aeroflot’s Russian Made Fleet Has Changed Over Time

Russia is a country with a fascinating aviation history, with flag carrier Aeroflot having been in existence for nearly a century. It is also a nation with a significant aircraft manufacturing sector, with several Soviet and Russian designs having sold more than 1,000 units. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the history of Russian aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet.

In the years that followed the Second World War, Aeroflot introduced several key Russian designs to its fleet. For example, the late 1940s saw the arrival of both the 12-passenger Antonov An-2 and the Ilyushin Il-12. The Il-12 typically held between 21 and 32 passengers, and it was succeeded by the Il-14, which Aeroflot also flew from 1954.

The 1950s also saw larger four-engine turboprop designs enter service with Aeroflot. Indeed, the large and popular Ilyushin Il-18 joined its fleet in 1958, with the Antonov An-10 following a year later. The 1950s even saw Aeroflot enter the jet age with the Tupolev Tu-104. This was the world’s second commercial jetliner, and Aeroflot flew it from 1956 to 1979.

An interesting variety of other Russian jetliners flew for Aeroflot during the remainder of the 20th century. Arguably the most notable of these was the supersonic Tupolev Tu-144, although its commercial career was comparatively short-lived.

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