IManchester United ikwisivumelwano senkxaso-mali ne-Aeroflot yaseRashiya ethandwa ziingozi

LONDON, England – Russian airline Aeroflot is to become an unlikely addition to Manchester United’s global roster of sponsors in a multi-million-pound contract to be announced this summer.

Aeroflot, majority-owned by the Russian Government, will be the official airline of the Premier League champions-elect from next season — taking over from Turkish Airlines.

The choice of Aeroflot from a sponsorship sector in which United would be spoilt for choice seems surprising. The accident-prone former Soviet airline has had a particularly poor safety record over the years — especially on internal flights in Russia.

But Aeroflot have embarked on a major modernisation of their fleet and the huge United sponsorship is seen as a way of overhauling their image around the world. It is also hoped it will improve the reputation of Russia’s airline business as a whole ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

However, it is expected that the sponsorship details will only require the United team to travel with Aeroflot when they fly to and from Moscow. Aeroflot have followed Russian energy giants Gazprom, the Champions League sponsors, into the high-profile European football market.