Red Wings has appointed commercial director Igor Ivliev as chief executive, handing him a 26-aircraft fleet that stands first in line for import-substituted Tupolev Tu-214 deliveries in 2027.

Ivliev succeeds Alexander Lebedev, who led the Moscow-based carrier since June last year and is moving to a new post within state technology firm Rostec.

The airline says Ivliev "will continue to implement the airline's strategic objectives, including the entry into service of new Russian-built aircraft." Deliveries of these aircraft are "expected next year," Red Wings adds.

United Aircraft has previously signalled that Red Wings is in line to receive the revised Tu-214 twinjet in 2027. The import-substituted type obtained certification at the end of last year.

Who is Igor Ivliev?

Ivliev arrives with a mixed operational and commercial background. He formerly headed the operator of Krasnoyarsk airport and has held senior roles at flag-carrier Aeroflot. Before his promotion, he served as Red Wings' commercial director.

His mandate ties the carrier's commercial strategy directly to the pace of Russian OEM output. Whether the 2027 Tu-214 timeline holds will shape the airline's capacity planning.

What does the fleet look like today?

The Red Wings fleet numbers 26 aircraft, all but a handful Russian-built:

• 20 Yakovlev Superjet 100s, the backbone of the operation
• A number of older Tu-204 and Tu-214 airframes
• Boeing 777-200ERs, which the carrier has also used

That mix places Red Wings among the operators most exposed to — and best positioned for — Moscow's import-substitution programme. The Superjet dominates its fleet, while the Tu-214s already in service give it experience with the platform United Aircraft is now re-certificating.

Why the change matters

Lebedev's departure for Rostec, the state holding that sits atop Russia's aviation-industrial base, keeps the airline's ownership and industrial ties intact. The transition signals continuity rather than a strategic reset.

For Red Wings, the stakes are concrete: the certificated but not yet delivered Tu-214 must transition from promise to production aircraft on schedule next year if the carrier's fleet modernisation is to stay on track.

Ivliev's tenure will be measured against that delivery schedule, and against how quickly 20 Superjet 100s and ageing Tupolev airframes can be supplemented — or replaced — by the new Russian-built types now moving toward service entry.