Aeroflot Upgrading Planes

The times are changing. Aeroflot, the Russian airline that was long ridiculed for its dilapidated airplanes when it was an arm of the former Communist state, is leasing one of the world’s newest, most advanced aircraft to help improve its service.

The carrier, now called Aeroflot Russian International Airlines, is leasing two new Boeing 777 jetliners from International Lease Finance Corp., a major aircraft lessor based in Century City. One of the wide-bodies will be delivered in April, the other in October.

And Aeroflot is tentatively planning to use at least one of the 777s on its nonstop flights between L.A. and Moscow, which run twice a week, said Olga Alexeva, a sales and marketing officer in Aeroflot’s Beverly Hills office.

*

James F. Peltz can be reached at james.peltz@latimes.com