This May, Aeroflot will take delivery of a Boeing 777-300ER named in honor of the founder of practical cosmonautics, Sergei Korolev. The aircraft will be the second named in honor of Professor Korolev, as the previous airplane was retired in 2018.
On Monday (April 12, 2021), Aeroflot celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight by announcing that their new Boeing 777-300ER, which will be delivered in May 2021, will be named in honor of Professor Sergei Korolev. Under Korolev’s leadership, the first satellite launch and manned spaceflight of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was possible. The new 777-300ER will be Aeroflot’s second airplane to honor Professor Korolev, as the previously Christened aircraft was retired in 2018.
In Monday’s announcement, Aeroflot’s CEO, Mikhail Poluboyarinov, said,
“Our airline has a long tradition of naming planes after great compatriots. This allows us to preserve the memory of outstanding personalities and pay tribute to their merits. We are glad to have the opportunity to perpetuate the contribution of Sergei Korolev to the formation and development of the aerospace industry.”
Also commenting in the announcement, Boeing’s President – Russia and the CIS, Sergei Kravchenko, said,
“The new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft of Aeroflot will be named after the founder of practical cosmonautics Sergei Korolev, it’s meaningful to us. Since 1992, Boeing has been a strategic partner of 'Energia' named after Korolev in a number of aerospace programs. Together we participate in significant projects in the field of space exploration, including the International Space Station.”
Marking the special honor, Sergei Korolev’s grandson, Andrei Korolev, added,
“The assignment of the name of my grandfather Sergei Korolev to the Aeroflot aircraft will become a symbol for decades and will strengthen the pride of our people in achievements in space.”
Aeroflot’s new Boeing 777-300ER ‘Sergei Korolev’ has been configured to accommodate a total of 427 guests, with 28 Business Class, 24 Comfort Class and 275 Economy Class seats. The carrier previously placed a firm order for 22 of the aircraft type, 20 of which have been delivered. The 20th aircraft joined the airline’s fleet on February 15, 2021, and the next aircraft will join the carrier’s fleet in May. The Boeing 777 is the world’s largest twin-engine aircraft and has a range of up to 14,594 km. Thanks to the lightweight fuselage and efficient engines, the aircraft delivers lower emissions per passenger than previously generation aircraft.
Aeroflot is the flag carrier of Russia and a proud member of the global SkyTeam® alliance. During 2020, Aeroflot carried 14.6 million guests and when the Aeroflot Group subsidiaries are included, the total rises to 30.2 million passengers. The airline holds a 4-Star rating from Skytrax World Airline Awards and has been awarded a five-star global airline rating by APEX. According to Cirium’s On-Time Performance Review, Aeroflot was the world’s most on-time mainline airline for 2019. The carrier has also received a five-star rating from OAG for flight punctuality. In 2020, Brand Finance, a leading brand strategy consultancy, declared Aeroflot the strongest brand in Russia, as well as the “world’s strongest airline brand.”
Source: Aeroflot