A320 Family | 1998-1999

(TOP)
Airline - Russian International Airlines
Aircraft - Airbus A320-200 | VP-BYA
Delivered to PAO VneshTorgBank, 1998
Leased to Russian International Airlines, 1998
Returned to PAO VneshTorgBank, 2019
Sold to Dojo Air, 2019
Livery - Standard 1992
Country - Russia

(BOTTOM)
Airline - Russian International Airlines
Aircraft - Airbus A319-100 | VP-BXA
Delivered to PAO VneshTorgBank, 1999
Leased to Russian International Airlines, 1999
Returned to PAO VneshTorgBank, 2013
Stored at Mineralnye Vody Airport, 2013
Sold to Republic Airways, 2014
Livery - Standard 1992
Country - Russia

As described previously, President Yeltsin's Government and Russian International Airlines responded to domestic criticism accusing them of being overly reliant on Boeing and the United States by placing a massive order for Airbus narrowbodies. More specifically, the order was for 150 Airbus A320s and 20 A319s, with deliveries being spread over many years - the final A319 was to arrive in 2002, and the final A320 in 2011 (though this timeline ended up slipping even further). The enormous deal was financed in part by PAO VneshTorgBank, which would also act as the lessor for all 170 aircraft. RIA initially received all these narrowbodies in quite premium-heavy configurations, with four rows of Business Class on the A319s and five rows of Business on the A320s, however after around 2005 it also began taking delivery of some A320s set up with only two rows of Business Class for use on more leisure-oriented routes. When the A320-family aircraft began joining the fleet in the late 1990s, RIA had 110 Tupolev Tu-154s still in service, making up the vast majority of its short- and medium-haul fleet. The last Tupolev was retired in 2005, replaced by the huge new sub-fleets of A319s, A320s, and the previously discussed 737-800s.