Most aircraft flying in Russia are no older than their counterparts used abroad. However, 17.7% of the aircraft fleet are old aircraft, many of which have reached the end of their service life and have problems with parts. Another disadvantage of the domestic market is problems with service and supervision, which is why almost the entire Russian fleet is registered in third countries

Photo: Transport-Photo Images

Became the biggest disaster in history Russian aviation. The day after the tragedy of the Kogalymavia (Metrojet) Airbus 321, which killed 224 people, Russian investigators opened two criminal cases under the articles “provision of services that do not meet safety requirements” and “violation of flight safety rules or preparation for them.” . Searches took place at the carrier's office, Domodedovo, and Samara airport, where the plane was refueling. State Duma deputies immediately came out in favor of banning the operation of aircraft over 15 years old (Airbus Kogalymavia was 18 years old) and revoking the licenses of carrier companies with a small number of aircraft. The head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Alexei Pushkov, said that it leads to plane crashes. Deputies put forward similar initiatives after the crash of a 23-year-old Boeing 737 in Kazan on October 17, 2013. Then, as now, the public ignored statements from airlines and industry experts who argued that an airplane is not a machine and 20 years of operation is not such a long time for it.

Both planes - Boeing in Kazan and Airbus over Sinai - according to the latest data, were operational. The Kazan disaster, as the commission of inquiry decided, was an Egyptian one - three weeks later it was recognized as a terrorist attack. Suspicions about the poor condition of aircraft flying in Russia, however, have not evaporated. RBC analyzed the fleet of Russian companies operating scheduled and charter passenger flights and found out whether suspicions about its wear and tear were justified.

What we thought

The basis was the list of valid airworthiness certificates of the Federal Air Transport Agency as of October 22, 2015 (that is, aircraft that are allowed to fly in Russia), data from the official websites of carriers and Internet resources airfleets.com, russianplanes.net and flightradar24.com. We excluded from the complete list small aircraft (private aircraft), local airline aircraft (practical range less than 1000 km, mainly An-2), helicopters, business jets, as well as all aircraft not used to transport passengers - for example, cargo and agricultural. The sample also did not include aircraft that are not used to transport passengers for commercial purposes: for example, the fleet of the Air Force, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the special detachment for transporting top officials (SLO Rossiya), as well as aircraft belonging to aircraft manufacturing plants. The lists we received with detailed information about each aircraft were sent to all operating airlines with a request to confirm the accuracy of the data we collected. All responses were taken into account in the analysis results.

Our statistics also included aircraft from the second largest Russian airline, Transaero. was accepted on October 1, and on October 26 the company lost its air operator certificate and ceased operations. The Transaero fleet is in the process of being returned to the lessors: several dozen cars can be received by Aeroflot, which received part of the airline’s routes, the rest will be sold on the market or written off. Taking into account the entire Transaero fleet in the sample (according to open data as of October, this is 122 aircraft), we were guided by the fact that most of it could go to other Russian operators, and the composition of the fleet reflects the economic model of the largest private Russian carrier.

What will happen to the huge fleet of Transaero, the second carrier after Aeroflot in terms of the number of aircraft (one of them is in the photo), is still unclear (Photo: TASS)

Which models do you choose?

The most popular family in Russia is the medium-haul Airbus 320 (A320, A319 and A321): 249 such aircraft are allowed to fly in the country. In second place with 203 aircraft is the family of medium-haul Boeing 737, the flights of which were recently asked to be suspended by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC).

According to our data, there are only 130 long-haul aircraft in Russia, of which 76.6% are Boeing 747, 767 and 777 models.

There is no definition of a medium-haul aircraft in Russian legislation. In the world, it is customary to classify vehicles with a flight range of over 2.5 thousand km into this category. Long-range vehicles in Russia are considered to be those with a flight range of more than 8 thousand km.

Airbus became the leader among aircraft flying on medium-haul routes in Russia not so long ago. The Big Four companies - Aeroflot, S7, UTair, Transaero - divided their preferences in two in 2013, explains Andrei Kramarenko, a researcher at the Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy at the Higher School of Economics. The first two chose Airbus, the second - Boeing. Now Transaero has stopped flying, and UTair has significantly reduced its fleet.

Two competing aircraft makers account for most of the world's aircraft fleets. According to the international organization Center for Aviation (CAPA, Australia) for April 2013, of all aircraft operated in the world, 39.7% are Boeing aircraft and 28.7% are Airbus. Russia is no exception. The aircraft of the two companies occupy 61.7% of the Russian fleet, 14.3% - other foreign aircraft (Embraer, Bombardier, De Havilland Canada, Let, ATR).

Domestic aircraft account for only 24% of the total fleet of Russian carriers. Moreover, for modern models - An-148, Tu-204, Tu-214 and Sukhoi Superjet - only 6.3%. The remaining 17.7% are old modifications of An, Tu and Yak, most of which flew in the USSR. “But the share of these cars in the volume of passenger traffic is less than 5%,” adds a professor at Moscow State Technical University civil aviation Alexander Fridland.

In terms of quantity, Sukhoi Superjet is the leader among modern Russian models: domestic airlines have 39 such aircraft. “The Sukhoi Superjet has a niche, but it is very narrow due to its size (capacity - up to 100 seats. - RBC),” says Friedland. According to him, for local and regional routes it is large, but on main routes with good passenger traffic it is inferior to economical cars by 150-200 seats. “His niche is mainline, but weak in flow directions,” the interlocutor believes.

The An-24 has not been produced since 1979, but there are still 67 such aircraft in the fleet of Russian companies (Photo: Transport-Photo Images)

Of the Soviet aircraft, the An-24 is the largest in the airline fleet - 67 aircraft. A turboprop passenger aircraft for short and medium-haul routes was developed by the Antonov Design Bureau (KB) in the late 1950s. Maximum capacity is up to 52 passengers. It is operated mainly by Russian regional companies (RBC considers such companies not to operate long-haul flights, flights through the capital's air hub and those not based in Moscow and St. Petersburg). “The An-24 is the only aircraft in the world of this class that lands on the ground, on compacted snow or ice,” recalls Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR, President of the Air Transport Infrastructure Development Fund. — He flew all over airspace The USSR is practically irreplaceable even in the current conditions in the Far North.”

Now the An-24 continues to be used by companies based in the north: Polar Airlines, Yakutia, Chukotavia. For now, it is impossible to replace it en masse with foreign models. Firstly, planes of foreign brands that could land at airfields in these regions accommodate fewer passengers, explains Kramarenko. In addition, technical documentation for them is available at English language, which is not owned by all An-24 pilots and personnel. However, during 2012-2013, Yakutia leased five Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft with a capacity of 70 to 80 seats. In addition to Bombardier, Aeroflot's subsidiary, the Far Eastern airline Aurora, flies Canadian De Havilland Canada 6 Twin Otter. Most likely, in the coming years, all An-24s will be replaced by foreign aircraft, “because they will exhaust their service life and it will become extremely difficult and expensive to maintain their airworthiness,” predicts Dmitry Mirgorodsky, partner of the consulting company Concuros, former vice-president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. There is no replacement for them with domestic analogues.

The second most popular among Soviet aircraft is the Yak-42: there are 33 such aircraft in the fleet of Russian airlines. However, several of them are in storage: some are waiting for parts to be replaced, some will no longer fly into the air. The machines are part of the fleets of Gazpromavia, Grozny Avia, Izhavia, Saratov Airlines" The latter company began flying Brazilian Embraer 190s two years ago.

How old are planes in Russia?

As the study showed, on average in Russia the age of foreign models is less than their service life, while our aircraft are often older. According to Andrey Sharypov, head of the civil aviation vessel certification department of the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation, for foreign aircraft it is about 40-60 thousand hours, that is, 30 years. For the Soviets it was less - about 20 years. The manufacturer can extend the service life individually for each vessel.

For example, the average age of the Boeing 737 Classic generation (modifications 300, 400, 500) in Russia is 20.2 years. Generations Boeing 737 Next Generation (modifications 600, 700, 800, 900) - 9.1 years. Airbus modifications 320 - 7.5 years, A319 - 11.9 years (see infographic). These figures are not significantly different from the world average. The Dutch airline KLM, according to planespotters.net, Boeing New Generation flies on average at the age of 9.3 years. The American low-cost airline Southwest Airlines, according to USA Today and the airfleets.net portal, is 9.7 years old. The Boeing 737 Classic aircraft (modifications 300, 400 and 500) of this airline are on average more than 22 years old.

As for Airbus, the A320 fleet of the German Germanwings is 23 years old. The American Delta, which flies with Aeroflot in the Skyteam alliance, has a lifespan of 20.7 years. Delta's A319 aircraft are 13.8 years old.

The oldest model of aircraft flying in Russia is the An-24. On average they are 42.1 years old. The average age of another Soviet aircraft still in operation, the Yak-42, is 24.7 years.

Soviet aircraft and modern Russian ones (with the exception of Sukhoi Superjet), unlike foreign ones, have problems with parts. Mass production of such machines has been stopped, so you have to order components individually, which costs several times more, says Sergei Koval, deputy head of the monitoring and authentication department of the Civil Aviation Research Institute. As a result, parts with forged documents are sometimes installed on Soviet cars. According to Koval’s estimates, the market now contains up to 8% of illegal parts, and from 2001 to 2015, 50 serious incidents occurred due to problems with parts (incidents with airplanes and helicopters are taken into account).

What happened to Soviet design bureaus

The Saratov Aviation Plant, which produced Yak aircraft, went bankrupt and was completely liquidated. The design bureaus that developed Soviet aircraft—the Tupolev Design Bureau and the Yakovlev Design Bureau (now part of the United Aircraft Corporation)—continue to exist mainly by supporting the remaining aircraft in service, Koval says. The Antonov Design Bureau (now the Antonov state enterprise) is located in Ukraine.

The age of the aircraft, according to professionals, does not affect its technical condition and airworthiness. “As a ship commander, I don’t ask: will you give me an old plane or will I fly on a new one? This doesn’t interest me at all,” explains Smirnov. The main thing is whether the aircraft underwent maintenance and repairs on time throughout its life. In addition, every part of the aircraft has its own resources. By that time, says Smirnov, “as the aircraft turns 17 years old, these parts can be replaced several times.”

The study found that 58.7% of aircraft in the Russian fleet had only one or two operators. And more than ten air carriers that replaced each other - only 3% of boards are in baggage. Moreover, in many cases, two of the same companies used aircraft in turns. This, for example, was the case with the Izhavia airline’s Yak-42: according to data from airfleets.net, if we take into account alternating carriers, it changed 20 operators in 28 and a half years. According to Smirnov, professionals are distrustful of an aircraft that has previously flown “in countries with high humidity, for example in Africa.” However, the lessor and the owner are obliged to put such a car in order. In this regard, the lessor, and not the previous operator, is important for the technical condition of the aircraft, the expert believes.

As a rule, carriers abandon aircraft for economic reasons, and not because of the end of its life, according to a study by leasing company Avalon (offices in the USA, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore and China). In Russia, foreign and new domestic aircraft models cease to be used at the age of 20-23, says HSE researcher Kramarenko. Global figures, according to Avalon research, are similar.

Airline age preferences

Russian airlines with the oldest fleet use Soviet aircraft. Among carriers with ten or more aircraft, the oldest fleet—41.2 years—has the Turukhan company, part of the UTair group. It mainly operates custom flights, including for mining companies. But Turukhan also has regular transportation, so its aircraft were included in our study.

In total, there are 16 companies in Russia operating aircraft over 25 years old for regular and charter transportation (see table).

The youngest park is at Pobeda, a subsidiary of Aeroflot that recently started operating. Its sides are only a year old. Aeroflot’s average fleet age, according to RBC calculations, is 4.6 years. The planes of Transaero, which stopped flying, were on average 18.6 years old (the S7 fleet was 9.2 years old, and UTair was 14 years old). In 2005-2008, many Russian airlines, including the Big Four carriers, when fuel prices went up, massively renewed their fleet, preferring aircraft with lower fuel consumption. In particular, this explains the rather young fleet of foreign aircraft in Russia, notes Fridland.

On April 1, 2001, regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) came into force, establishing reduced engine noise levels for aircraft flying in Europe. Almost all Soviet and Russian planes of that time: Tu-134, Tu-154B, Tu-154M, Il-62, Il-86. Thus, airlines that actively flew to Europe and transited over European countries were forced to replace their old noisy machines with new imported ones.

Low-cost airline Pobeda is the youngest Russian air carrier with the youngest fleet. Their Boeing is only a year old on average (Photo: TASS)

There is also a significant difference between the average age of aircraft from different companies abroad. According to a Bloomberg rating compiled in January 2013, the American Delta has an average age of 15.8 years, Southwest Airlines - 14.7, Aeromexico - 15.2, Lufthansa - 12.4, Air France - 11.5, Ryanair - five years.

Each company chooses for itself what is more cost-effective for it: a new or older aircraft, Mirgorodsky emphasizes. For example, purchasing a new Boeing 737-800 will cost approximately $48-55 million. The same ten-year-old model will already cost $16-18 million, says Alexander Kochetkov, head of the leasing company Gold"nsky Leasing. But old aircraft also require maintenance costs. Not all companies can afford to pay such sums at a time - they have to lease cars. In Russia, according to Ilyushin Finance Co. estimates, at least 80% of operating aircraft are leased.

This is exactly what the largest market player, Aeroflot, is doing, intending to enter the top 20 global air carriers in terms of revenue and passenger traffic by 2025. For the sake of this goal, the airline has been not only increasing but also refreshing its fleet for several years, General Director Vitaly Savelyev has repeatedly said in his interviews. “It’s difficult to compete on the global market with an old aircraft,” Mirgorodsky explains the strategy. Aeroflot also gives older models to its subsidiaries - Aurora Airlines, Orenburg Airlines, Donavia, and Rossiya.

But many companies don’t even have enough money to lease new aircraft. Transaero, for example, which dreamed of ousting a state-owned competitor, due to expensive debt financing, as it itself admitted in its financial statements, was expanding its fleet with cheap foreign and new cars, Vedomosti wrote. After the devaluation of the ruble at the end of last year, leasing for Russian companies has become significantly more expensive, even for old aircraft (leasing payments are made in foreign currency. - RBC), adds Mirgorodsky. According to Kochetkov’s estimates, leasing a new Boeing 737-800 costs an average of $4.2 million per year, and about $2 million for a ten-year one.

When choosing a particular airline for a flight, almost everyone is based on the concept of reliability and safety. This applies to the design of the airliner itself, as well as the upcoming flight. According to websites that conduct flight safety research among Russian airlines, the best airlines in Russia still hold their positions.

The air carrier market is constantly developing, and passenger traffic is growing every day.

What should you pay attention to when choosing an air carrier?

In order to increase passenger flow, many airlines hold various promotions that provide discounts for repeated use or lower prices for air tickets. What could this be connected with and what could it affect?

• Level of customer service.

When purchasing air tickets, you must pay attention to which category you fall into. Depending on the class of service, the difference in service and, accordingly, in the cost of tickets subsequently appears. Even with the best airlines in Russia, prices for air tickets are distributed depending on the class chosen by the client: economy, business and first.

• Frequency of flight delays.

It sometimes happens that some airlines experience frequent flight delays. As a rule, this happens on charter flights. But sometimes regular flights are also delayed. The reasons may vary. For example, many flights in one direction, waiting in line, additional checks on board or emergency repairs. Developed companies strictly monitor the technical condition of air transport and equipment, and also calculate flight times in such a way as not to create flight delays, ensuring that customers are delivered to their destination on time and on time.

• Service on board.

Thousands of flights take place every day, and their routes often intersect. This creates a lot of competition. In order to attract customers specifically to them, carriers are trying to diversify the additional services offered on board. Nowadays, many people need constant access to the Internet for work, including at altitude. This service has now become available among the best airlines in Russia. For an additional fee, you can be online and work on the Internet during the flight.

In cases where the journey lasts more than 6 hours, passengers are provided with pillows and blankets. But even if the flight takes very little time, there is still always the opportunity to ask for a pillow and blanket.

• Meals on board.

Flights over 3 hours are already considered long and, as a rule, include meals on board. Depending on the class of service and the airline, the menu for passengers varies in its selection. Typically, if the flight is made at night or early in the morning, a choice of juice, tea, coffee and a light snack is served, and a hot dish, tea, coffee or juice with snacks is served during the day and evening.

• Technical condition of the liners.

Not all airlines regularly update their aircraft fleet. Before flying, many clients still study information about the condition and number of aircraft in the fleet of the selected air carrier. As a rule, the best airlines in Russia regularly update their fleet. A new plane subconsciously evokes a feeling of greater reliability than a plane with cracked skin. The new aircraft have modern equipment and are equipped with the latest developments in technology specializing in the aviation sector. They can reach high speeds while consuming less fuel. It is known that in the fleet of low-cost airline companies, as a rule, most of the aircraft are completely new, because less money is spent on their maintenance. This makes it possible to reduce ticket prices.

• Airfare.

For most customers, the deciding factor when choosing a flight is the price of the ticket. Air carriers organize various promotions or temporarily reduce the cost of a certain route during the off-season period. To attract more customer attention, many airlines resort to marketing tactics such as indicating next to the price information that there are only a few seats left at that price.

Airline Marketing Tricks

It is also noticed that if you request the same date on the same site, then initially low price no longer displayed. In order to see cheap tickets again, you need to log in from a different IP address. You can try simply changing your browser. Tickets purchased a few months before departure are usually 25% cheaper than those sold a few days before the upcoming flight.

Among the 10 best airlines in Russia, we can highlight the most important ones in terms of rating, safety and number of flights.

"Aeroflot"

The leading position is still occupied by Aeroflot, which carried more than 20 million people over the previous year. Being one of the oldest and largest airlines in the world, it has been regularly transporting passengers since the mid-20s of the 20th century.

According to research conducted in 2016, it is considered one of the safest airlines in the world. Over the previous year, an increase in passenger traffic of 12% was recorded compared to 2015. Today the company ranks first in the ranking of the best airlines in Russia.

S7

For many years now, the Siberian air carrier has proven itself to be a reliable company and inspires the trust of an increasing number of customers. By communicating with largest cities Russia, it often holds promotions and places special offers on its website. Thanks to this, many people fly S7 flights around Russia in business class at fairly affordable prices.

According to a study to determine which airline is the best in Russia in 2016, conducted on the basis of an anonymous survey, the number reserved seats in classes with increased comfort was done by people flying on business and business trips. Operating flights to 80 destinations in Russia and abroad, the company cooperates with partner airlines, including even the world famous British Airways.

By selling combined tickets, S7 manages to reduce the cost of flights by making transfers and connecting flights. Over the previous year, about 10 million people took advantage of the airline's flights.

"Russia"

Being a subsidiary of Aeroflot, Rossiya is also among the top best airlines in Russia. Over the past year, more than 7 million people used the services of this carrier to various destinations throughout the country and abroad.

The growth dynamics of air tickets sold was more than 40% compared to previous years. The airline is based in St. Petersburg and operates most of its flights from Pulkovo. Flights with numbers starting with 6 are operated on behalf of Aeroflot, and those starting with 5 are operated under the name of Rossiya.

Utair

The Russian airline Utair has been flying since the mid-20th century and is also considered one of the best airlines in Russia. In addition to the airliner fleet of more than 60 aircraft, it also has a fleet of helicopters.

Over the past year, the airline transported more than 5 million people, increasing its turnover by approximately 19%. Based at Moscow Vnukovo Airport.

"Ural Airlines"

The air carrier has been operating regular and charter flights on the Russian aviation market for more than 20 years. Operating flights within and outside the country, the company transported more than 5 million people last year. It has a wide fleet of aircraft, which are mainly Airbuses, and is one of the five best airlines in Russia.

The company is based in Koltsovo in Yekaterinburg and Moscow Domodedovo Airport and operates flights to more than 200 destinations. A few years ago, she opened her own pilot training simulator.

Summarizing

In this case, it is difficult to answer the question of which airline is the best in Russia. The answer may be subjective. After all, every person has their own preferences and tastes. You will have to decide which air carrier you prefer, based on your personal wishes and experience.

What, first of all, does a passenger want to receive from an air carrier? This is comfort, reliability and safety. Also, he will not refuse an acceptable level of service and, of course, will not be against the punctuality of the company’s employees: it is unlikely that any of us will like long flight delays.

Based on these requests from airline customers, we have compiled a rating of the best Russian airlines, which is based on the expert assessment of several independent consulting agencies and the opinions of passengers who have already used the services of carriers.

TOP 10: Best airlines in Russia ranking for 2020

To make the rating more truthful and comprehensive, we used mixed statistics in the article. Firstly, this is a direct survey of clients, and secondly, an assessment by experts. Employees of some consulting agencies, under the guise of “secret passengers”, personal experience checked the level of service: the cost of tickets, the quality of food on board the plane, the general level of service and the time of delays during flights (if any). We summarized the total rating in the “Overall Rating” column of our table.

Place	Name	Overall rating	Positive customer recommendations
🏆 10	✈ Nordavia	⭐ 3.21 out of 5	👍 40 %
🏆 9	✈ Red Wings Airlines	⭐ 3.40 out of 5	👍 37 %
🏆 8	✈ Nordwind Airlines	⭐ 3.42 out of 5	👍 45 %
🏆 7	✈ Utair	⭐ 3.48 out of 5	👍 44 %
🏆 6	✈ Metrojet	⭐ 3.64 out of 5	👍 67 %
🏆 5	✈ Aeroflot	⭐ 3.79 out of 5	👍 55 %
🏆 4	✈ S7 Airlines	⭐ 3.84 out of 5	👍 58 %
🏆 3	✈ Russia	⭐ 3.86 out of 5	👍 62 %
🏆 2	✈ Yamal	⭐ 4.14 out of 5	👍 72 %
🏆 1	✈ I-Fly	⭐ 3.97 out of 5	👍 76 %

10th place. "Nordavia"

Regional carrier, with its main base in Arkhangelsk. Specializes in domestic transportation Russian Federation, but there are also foreign flights – to Norway. Due to weather conditions, in winter the number of flights is significantly less than in summer. Aircraft fleet quite “old”, domestic aircraft are used to service close regional flights: AN-24

🛫 Where are the routes?

In 14 of the largest Russian regional centers, also in Troms (Norway).

Departure without delay: 2.63

Food quality: 3.16

On-board service level: 3.53

9th place. Red Wings Airlines

The company is one of the fifteen largest air carriers in Russia. It has been on the market for eighteen years, in 2009 it went through a rebranding, after which it is known under its current name. It is considered one of the main tourist charter carriers. Most of the aircraft fleet is domestic aircraft.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Overseas charter flights on the most popular tourist routes from Moscow, St. Petersburg and several other regional centers.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 3, 08

Food quality: 3.2

On-board service level: 3.5

8th place. Nordwind Airlines

Another charter passenger carrier offering charter flights to Europe, Mediterranean countries, as well as to Asian countries. The aircraft fleet is based in Moscow and consists of 24 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It is actively updating and purchasing new aircraft, some of which were purchased this year.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Along tourist routes from Moscow: Europe, India, Thailand, countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 3.46

Food quality: 2.97

On-board service level: 3.65

7th place. "Utair"

A company with partial foreign capital, specializing in air and helicopter transportation. The main home ports are in Tyumen and Moscow. It operates not only charter flights, but also regular flights: every day the company's aircraft make about three hundred flights. Over the past two years, its aircraft have carried more than 17 million passengers.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Domestic regional flights, foreign flights on tourist routes to countries in Europe, Africa, Asia.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 3.32

Food quality: 3.18

On-board service level: 3.83

6th place. "Metrojet"

The main activity of the air carrier is charter flights on most tourist routes in European countries. Since 2012, it has been working closely with a large German travel company, so some of the airliner flights are carried out under the TUI brand.

🛫 Where are the routes?

EU countries (Spain, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria), also to Egypt and Turkey.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 3.88

Food quality: 3.69

On-board service level: 4.07

5th place. Aeroflot

The largest air carrier in Russia. The fleet consists of almost 200 aircraft, which includes aircraft of both domestic and foreign production. It is updated regularly and the average age of aircraft is 4.3 years. Routes are laid to 51 countries of the world. The attitude of clients is quite negative, although, according to many consulting companies, the level of service is acceptable.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Internal regional routes to all regional centers, all European countries, most Asian countries, some countries in Africa and America.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Four stars is a very good indicator

Departure without delay: 3.72

Food quality: 3.83

On-board service level: 3.89

The SKYTRAX rating is an objective assessment of airline services from a private, independent British company. Five-point rating - from one to five stars. Among hundreds of global companies, only a few have currently received 5 stars.

4th place. "S7 Airlines"

The former name of the company is Siberia, and is engaged in regular and charter transportation within Russia; its aircraft also carry out regular international flights: routes are laid to 26 countries around the world. Over the past few years, it has carried more than 10 million passengers annually. The fleet consists of 70 aircraft, the average age of the aircraft is 10 years.

🛫 Where are the routes?

European countries, neighboring countries, Egypt, Turkey, Asian countries (China, Japan, South Korea)

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 3.89

Food quality: 3.64

On-board service level: 3.92

3rd place. "Russia"

A subsidiary of Aeroflot, based in St. Petersburg, from where most of the carrier’s aircraft depart. Carries about 5 million passengers annually. Organized domestic flights throughout the country, there are also regular flights to European countries. The fleet consists of 62 aircraft, the average age is 13 years.

🛫 Where are the routes?

European countries (France, Germany), domestic flights to most regional centers of the country.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 4.02

Food quality: 3.46

On-board service level: 4.01

2nd place. "Yamal"

West Siberian air carrier with a fairly large fleet of 60 aircraft. The main place of registration is Salekhard, the average age of the aircraft is 11 years. Operates on 42 routes, most of which are domestic. Also engaged charter flights to European and Mediterranean countries.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Regional centers of Russia, neighboring countries, Europe, UAE, Bangkok.

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 3.88

Food quality: 4.02

On-board service level: 4.16

1 place. "I-Fly"

The best charter carrier today according to passengers and experts. The aircraft fleet's home port is Moscow. The main field of activity is charter transportation on foreign tourist routes. Cooperates with the travel company “TEZ-Tour”.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Mediterranean countries, Spain, UAE, Asian countries (China, Thailand)

✅ Assessment issued by the SKYTRAX agency

Departure without delay: 4.19

Food quality: 3.81

On-board service level: 4.06

Which airline is best to use?

The final choice depends on your preferences. For example, if safety is your primary concern, then try to choose companies that use new airliners. Conditionally, any aircraft with an age of up to 12 years can be considered such (after this period they must undergo mandatory overhaul). Also, do not forget that the smaller the company, the smaller its financial turnover, therefore, they spend less money on aircraft maintenance. Additionally, before making your final choice, do not be lazy and look at the statistics of accidents and incidents for the airline: this data can be found on many publicly available Internet resources.

The issue of flight safety is one of the most pressing questions that, one way or another, all travelers ask. Regardless of the distance, any tourist wants the hours and minutes spent in the sky to be as calm and comfortable as possible.

Often, the choice of the airline that operates the flight completely influences all these factors. Every year, international companies compile airline ratings that reflect the entire work of the carrier and its main indicator for passengers - safety.

The Vipgeo portal presents the safest airlines in Russia and the world, according to international ratings and authoritative publications.

Important: The list of airlines was compiled based on the rating of the European Aviation Safety Agency - EASA. There are several other similar agencies in the world, and their data may differ slightly.

Safe airlines in Russia

According to European agencies, in 2019 the airline was recognized as the safest carrier registered in Russia. It was assigned the highest rating of 0.24 points, based on the calculation - the closer to one, the more dangerous the flights by this carrier.

The rating is compiled based on checking the general condition of the aircraft, punctuality and compliance with standards according to documents and international law. As for plane crashes, since 1993, the residents of the Urals have not had a single incident with human casualties.

"S7"

In second place in terms of safety is the largest air carrier beyond the Urals " S7", formerly known as the Siberia company. The Siberians have an older fleet of aircraft; most often the company operates 15-20 year old Airbuses and Boeings on regular flights. However, the technical condition of the aircraft has never caused any complaints from international commissions.

The company's worst plane crashes occurred in the early 2000s, when a total of more than 300 people died. Since then, the safety level of S7 transportation has met all international standards, and no precedents, except for two emergency landings, have been recorded.

As for the largest and oldest airline in Russia - "" - today there is the most controversy. On the one hand, they have the most impressive budget and allow them to regularly update their aircraft fleet. But on the other hand, a series of disasters in the 90s seriously damaged the reputation of the once transportation giant. Therefore, now - only third place and 0.38 points.

But the main thing that is worth saying about Aeroflot is that the company is the only Russian carrier that is consistently included in international ratings. True, the same JACDEC agency in 2019 placed Aeroflot only in 36th place in the list of the safest airlines in the world.

The company "" registered in Khanty-Mansiysk today is one of the most popular carriers in the country, with dozens of domestic and international destinations.

Interestingly, the company’s fleet is based on new medium-capacity aircraft of the ATR brand, which makes the carrier a kind of leader in short regional flights.

UTair has had plane crashes, but the last major incident happened in 2014 with an MI-8 cargo helicopter. Passenger aircraft fly without incident.

Safest airlines in the world

The rating of the safest air carriers in the world in 2019 was deservedly topped by the company registered in Hong Kong. It has been on the market since 1946, and over the past three decades the only accident associated with its aircraft was a hard landing. passenger airliner, flying from Indonesia.

Today, Cathay Pacific Airways serves dozens of countries, including all of Southeast Asia, Europe, the USA and Russia. Recently, the company even launched a Russian-language website with the ability to book tickets.

Despite the incidents of 2017, carriers United Arab Emirates continue to rank second in the ranking of the safest airlines in the world. And the company "" is considered the best of the best. They annually renew their fleet of ships, and also regularly improve the quality of service for passengers - from economy class to first class.

For Russian tourists, the Emirates company is important at least because it cooperates with S7, organizing connecting flights to Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Maldives. In addition, in 10 Russian cities there is the possibility of direct charter flights by planes of this company.

"EVAAir"

Third place in the ranking of the safest airlines is occupied by another Chinese carrier - “ EVAAir" It began work in 1989, and over the years of its existence has not allowed a single plane crash with human casualties. The only precedents were associated with a hard landing in the United States.

Unfortunately, Russian travelers can use the services of this airline only at Asian airports.

"QatarAirways"

And fourth place, according to the airline safety ratings of 2019, was firmly occupied by Middle Eastern aircraft from the company "". The carrier is based in Doha and serves 160 destinations around the world. Since 1993, the company has only had two incidents, but both resulted in no casualties.

The carrier has a huge fleet of Boeings and Airbuses. What is attractive for Russian tourists is that Qatari planes regularly fly through Moscow, St. Petersburg and Voronezh.

Are low-cost airlines as dangerous as they say?

Recently, due to increasing reports of low-cost airline crashes, many tourists have begun to abandon low-cost carriers, sincerely believing that companies intend to skimp on safety for the sake of the number of tickets sold. But how true is this?

Tourists with extensive experience flying on low-cost airlines claim that rumors and speculation are nothing more than exaggerations. Yes, there are problems with low-cost airlines, but the key cause of disasters, as elsewhere, is the human factor. References to supposedly old planes of our Pobeda and other cheap companies are falsifications. Discussants who have doubts are referred to the official websites of the carrier.

If we take the issue seriously, the main problem of low-cost airlines is the lack of proper comfort during the flight, but not the safety of passengers. If you choose cheap flight, you need to know what you are saving on. If you are afraid, you have a direct route to the ticket offices of major airlines.

01/14/2016 at 22:48 · Pavlofox · 68 570

Rating of Russian airlines in terms of flight reliability and safety for 2018-2019

Safety during air travel is one of the most important factors. The reliability of an air carrier is determined by the absence of accidents during last years, passenger turnover, EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certification and membership in the international organizations IOSA and ICAO.

The domestic air carrier Transaero was one of the 20 world air leaders in terms of reliability and safety, and occupied the first position in the Russian ranking. But since October 2015, the company ceased operations due to bankruptcy. For this reason, Transaero is not included in the TOP 10.

Russia on flight reliability and safety was compiled according to EASA data for 2018-2019.

10. Russia | 63 aircraft

“” (ROSSIYA Airlines) - domestic air carrier opens top ten safest airlines of our country based on the results of last year. Rossiya is part of the Aeroflot group of companies. In 2018, Rossiya took fifth position in the ranking of the largest Russian airlines. In 2013, at the “Wings of Russia” ceremony, she was awarded the “Best Passenger Carrier in Regional Destinations” award. The fleet size includes 63 aircraft. The average age of aircraft is 13 years.

9. North wind | 30 aircraft

“” (Nordwind Airlines) is a charter airline created by the largest tour operator PegasTouristik. It operates flights to holiday destinations. In 2019, it entered the top 10 largest Russian air carriers. In terms of safety and reliability, Nordwind Airlines was not included in the top 100 in the world ranking, but was able to maintain its position in the top ten in the domestic ranking. The air fleet consists of 30 aircraft. The average age of air transport is 10.9 years.

8. Orenburg Airlines | 19 aircraft

"" (ORENAIR Airlines) is a subsidiary of Aeroflot. At the end of 2018, the air carrier was awarded the “Charter Passenger Carrier”, “Airline of the Year – Passenger Favorites” – 1st place, “Airline of the Year – Passenger Carrier on Domestic Airlines” – 3rd place. The air fleet consists of 19 Boening 737-800 and Boening 777-200 aircraft. The average age of transport is 11 years.

7. Red Wings | 14 aircraft

“” (Red Wings Airlines) is a domestic air carrier that operates foreign-made aircraft. The aircraft fleet includes modern Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. The average age of air transport is 11.3 years.

6. Yamal | 37 aircraft

Aviation transport company (YAMAL Airlines) is the main air carrier in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Tyumen region. YAMAL Airlines passed IATA (International Air Transport Association) certification in 2013, confirming its reliability and safety of flights. In 2018, the company won three awards: “Best Airline of the Year – Passenger Carrier on Domestic Routes”, “Airline of the Year – Helicopter Operator” and “Best Passenger Carrier on Regional Routes”. The air carrier was not included in the top hundred of the world safety rating, but took 6th place in the Russian rating. The fleet includes 37 aircraft, the average age of which is 11 years.

5. Globe | 23 aircraft

“” (Globus) is one of the youngest airlines, formed on the basis of the Siberia ships (S7 Airlines). The company places special emphasis on flight safety and reliability. To achieve this, the security system undergoes regular testing and is constantly improved. Globus cooperates with many travel agencies. Flights on tourist routes are the main activity of the air carrier. The Globus fleet consists of S7 Airlines aircraft and includes 23 Boeing 737 -800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft - which arrived in the fall of 2018 and continue to arrive in 2019. The average age of aircraft is 8.9 years.

4. UTair | 65 aircraft

“” (UTair) is one of the largest Russian airlines, which is one of the five largest in terms of passenger traffic. Although UTair was not included in the hundred safest carriers in the world, it took an honorable fourth place in the domestic ranking. UTair was awarded in 2019 in the category “Best Passenger Carrier on Regional Routes.” Flight personnel regularly undergo advanced training. The aircraft fleet includes 65 airplanes and 145 helicopters. The average age of transport is 11.5 years.

3. Siberia | 100 aircraft

"Siberia"(S7 Airlines) is one of the three largest and safest airlines in Russia in 2018-2019. S7 Airlines has won competitions many times. In 2015, the air carrier received the National Geographic Traveler Awards 2015, winning in the “Best Russian Airline” category. Among the world's air carriers, Sibir took 94th place in the safety and reliability rating. The air fleet includes Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the total number of which is 100 units. The average service life of air transport is 10 years.

2. Ural Airlines | 45 aircraft

(Ural Airlines) is one of the leading Russian airlines in terms of reliability and safety. In 2018 Ural Airlines were awarded a triple award in the categories “Best Domestic Passenger Carrier Airline of the Year”, “Best International Scheduled Airline of the Year” and “E-Commerce Leader Airline of the Year”. In terms of passenger traffic volume, the company took 6th place among Russian air carriers. The average service life of the aircraft fleet is 12.5 years. Fleet size at this moment is 45 air units.

Ural Airlines has a gym, which is designed to train flight crews. Here pilots undergo individual training, improving professional skills to improve safe flights. The gym owned by the air carrier is the only one in Russia. Only the best airlines in the world have such equipment, for example, Emirates, Lufthanza and others.

1. Aeroflot | 247 aircraft

(Aeroflot) – ranks first in safety and reliability among Russian air carriers. At the end of 2018, it took 35th position in air safety in the world ranking of the independent German agency Jacdec. Aeroflot has also been repeatedly recognized as the best airline in Eastern Europe. The fleet includes 247 aircraft. This is one of the youngest air parks in Europe and the world. The average age of aircraft is 4.1 years. During the Winter Olympic Games in 2014, Aeroflot acted as the official air carrier.

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