Russian air carriers top. Are low-cost airlines as dangerous as they are said to be? Which airline and aircraft to choose

Every year, consulting companies conduct large-scale surveys on passenger satisfaction with air carriers, as a result of which leaders are identified.

300 aircraft

(Lufthansa) opens top ten the best airlines in the world today. The leading German carrier is also one of the largest in the world. Lufthansa provides its customers with a high level of service and comfort during the flight. The fleet includes about 300 aircraft. Flights are made to 215 destinations. Lufthansa is recognized as the best airline in Europe.

200 aircraft

All Nippon Airways(All Nippon Airways) is one of the largest Japanese airlines. In safety ratings, AllNippon occupies one of the first places. All Nippon Airways won the award for "Most best service in an Aeroport". The airline offers four levels of service on board, depending on the class. Multimedia entertainment is provided for passengers of all classes. AllNippon Airways is distinguished not only by the comfort of flights, but also by the operational speed of servicing all customers. Air transport includes about 200 technical units that fly to more than 200 cities.

39 aircraft

Virgin Atlantic/VirginAustralia a (Virgin Atlantic) entered 50 major air carriers peace. Virgin Atlantic provides passengers with comfortable flight conditions in accordance with the class. Free meals and multimedia entertainment are provided for everyone. In 2009, the air carrier won the Best Premium Economy Class nomination. In 2010, Virgin Atlantic was recognized as the best among transatlantic companies. In terms of reliability and safety, Virgin Atlantic ranks fifth in the world. The size of the fleet is relatively small, with 39 aircraft. Flights are made to 34 destinations.

63 aircraft

EVA Air(Eva Air) is one of the major Taiwanese airlines. According to the results of 2015, it was included in the top three most reliable and safe carriers and in the top ten the best companies by service. The air fleet includes 63 units of aircraft. Flights are carried out to 74 destinations.

200 aircraft

(Emirates) is one of the largest air carriers in the world, which is located in Dubai. Emirates is one of the top 10 safest and most reliable airlines in the world. Passengers are provided with a full range of comfortable services on board the aircraft in accordance with the class. The airline received an award in the nomination " Top entertainment on board." The fleet has more than 200 aircraft, which will soon be replenished with several hundred more. Flights are carried out in 120 points of the world.

100 aircraft

Singapore Airlines(Singapore Airlines) is the largest airline in Singapore. Has a five-star rating from the consulting company Skytrax. For business class customers, Singapore Airlines offers an exclusive offer - to fly in suites, which are separate comfortable cabins. The cabin allows you to retire and relax during the flight on a full bed. A bonus program has been developed for passengers, which encourages regular customers through accumulated travel. The client himself chooses the type of remuneration for bonuses. Singapore Airlines won in the nomination "The best staff on board". The air fleet of Singapore Airlines has more than 100 units of aircraft and flies to more than 60 points of the world.

150 aircraft

Cathay Pacific Airways(Catey Pacific Airways) is Hong Kong's flag carrier. Katya Pacific has entered the top six airlines in the world with a five-star rating, according to the influential British company Skytrax. Increased level of service on board, incentive bonus programs for passengers and modernized fleet- all this allows Cathay Pacific Airways to be among the best. The fleet has about 150 aircraft, soon their number will increase by another 80. The geography of flights is quite extensive and includes 112 destinations.

100 aircraft

(Etihad Airways) opens the top three of the best airlines in the world. United Air Carrier United Arab Emirates is one of the youngest and fastest growing air transportation companies. Etihad Airways since its foundation (2003) it has received over 30 awards for the high level of service and flight comfort. All passengers can take advantage of a rich media library with a varied selection of audio recordings and films. For business class clients, there is a separate waiting room with seating areas, where a wide range of services is provided. In addition, it is provided free service"Personal chauffeur" at the place of arrival. Economy Class passengers have the option of a free shuttle service with an Etihad Airways ticket. The air park has more than 100 aircraft. The number of international routes is 120.

200 aircraft

(Kwontas Airways), nicknamed "Flying Kangaroo" entered the top three best air carriers this year. It is the largest and oldest Australian airline. All Qantas Airways aircraft are equipped with an upgraded security system and are under constant monitoring. The company provides passengers with quality service and comfortable conditions during the flight. Carries out transportation on 144 international routes. The size of the fleet is about 200 aircraft. In terms of safety, Qantas Airways ranks second.

76 aircraft

(Air New Zealand) - One of New Zealand's largest air carriers, ranked first among the best airlines this year. Air New Zealand is considered the safest by Airline Ratings experts. Innovative implementations to improve the comfort level of flights also set this company apart from others. Each passenger can become a member of the Air New Zealand Koru program. The exclusive offer is to provide additional services: customers are provided with special waiting rooms with the possibility of using a separate parking lot. There are also lounges with showers, light snacks, Internet access and other services. An increased level of comfort, qualified personnel, environmental friendliness and safety are indicators of the air carrier's credibility. The air fleet consists of 76 aircraft, transportation is carried out on 48 international routes.

The ever-increasing level of aviation safety every year is bearing fruit in the aviation industry. Back in the period from 1982 to 1991, according to the report of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), the flight safety index Soviet Union was 0.08. In the CIS countries, it reached 0.1 and a little better in the USA - 0.02. The indicator was taken as the ratio of the number of accidents per 100 thousand hours of flight.

A careful analysis of the causes of the tragedies and the management of flight safety have brought air travel to the level of confidence on the part of passengers. Figures published by IATA in 2014 showed that there was 1 accident per 4.4 million flights.

According to World Foundation, from January 2018 to December 2019 more than 20 air accidents which resulted in the death of more than 700 people. It is indicated that only civil aircraft with a capacity of more than 14 seats.

In order to keep passengers up to date with the developments in air travel, ICAO introduced its project - the Digital Library of Final Reports. The portal was developed in order to conduct security lessons. With it, you can search by date of incidents and read the report of the commission.

Throughout the existence airways only two airlines can boast of zero accident rates in the last 50 years. This is the Australian company Quantas - has been operating since 1922, and the Finnish Finnair - since 1923. According to JACDEC, a total of 22 global airlines are registered, during the existence of which there have been no serious accidents.

It is important to note that the JACDEC accident database is limited to 30 years. Accidents that happened during exercises, transportation of goods, tests are not taken into account. Only flights with passengers on board are taken into account. 60 largest companies of the world take part in the security analysis.

So, here are the top 20 airlines in terms of flight safety in 2018-2019.

In 2018, the Australian Qantas did not enter the top ten, and ended up in 13th position. And the Japanese company Japan Airlines improved last year's results and rose from 44th place to 9th.

Russian airlines are again not included in the top 20 in terms of safety. Aeroflot-Russian moved only one position up (35th place). And Transaero Airlines did not participate in the JACDEC analysis at all.

Switzerland's expert view

According to experts from the Swiss agency ATRA, it is not entirely correct to rely on the historical summary of aircraft accidents. In fact, any air transport is subject to external factors and it happens that the chances of survival of passengers are more dependent on the skill of the pilot. Therefore, one of the criteria for calculating the safety factor of the ATRA rating is the level of training of pilots and controllers.

After a long analysis of air incidents and accidents, ATRA has deduced 15 main flight safety criteria:

• The financial position of the company;
• Occupancy rate of passenger seats;
• Number of employees on board and pilots;
• The total number of mileage of the aircraft;
• Number of ships in operation and out of production;
• Average age of active aircraft;
• Constituent air fleet (Airbus or Boeing);
• Number of aircraft at risk;
• Number of accidents in the last 10 years.

The calculation data is based on information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the aerospace magazine Flight Global.

For its consideration, ATRA selected the 94 largest airlines in terms of financial income. Of these, the first in the ranking and the most reliable were the Asian Air China, China Southern Airlines Group, American - AMR Corporation, Delta Air Line, Southwest Airlines, United Continental Holdings, US Airways Group, European - Air France KLM Group and International Airlines Group (2014 statistics).

European SAFA program

In 2004, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) introduced its reliability assessment criterion - the SAFA coefficient. In contrast to the replicated public ratings, on this moment SAFA is considered the most reliable indicator of reliability. It was recognized by all experts of the world air traffic. SAFA is a kind of final assessment of the International Operational Safety Audit (IOSA)

It is worth noting that in order to obtain an IOSA certificate, a company must pass a test of more than 1000 points of flight safety requirements.

The essence of assigning a coefficient is a random check foreign aircraft landing in the EU by European Commission inspectors. It is impossible to predict when the audit will take place. The aircraft board is subjected to a thorough inspection of 54 points for technical condition, age of vessels and documentation. From the shortcomings of the vessel, the SAFA coefficient is just derived.

Subsequently, if the checked aircraft of one airline gain a certain number of penalty points, then the company itself is blacklisted by the EU. Thus, continuous management and improvement of flight safety over the territory of the EU is carried out.

Unfortunately, SAFA experts keep their conclusions in the public domain. One thing is known, the higher the coefficient of the company, the lower its reliability. A coefficient of 1.95 is considered a critical threshold. Airlines that have received such a mark are included in the red zone and fall under the scope of careful and regular monitoring by the European Commission.

Russian companies that have been tested after EASA certification have provided their assessments of the safety factor.

Flight safety. Documentary

0.4-0.5 - UTair, Globus;
0.5-0.8 - Yamal, Red Wings, Orenburg Airlines, Aeroflot-Nord, North wind»;
0.8 - 0.9 - Donavia, GTK Russia;
1.08 - Transaero;
1.25 - "Sky Express".

The companies Vladivostok-Avia, Bashkortostan, Dagestan Airlines have approached the threshold of the "red zone".

TOP budget companies in terms of flight safety from the aviation portal Airline Ratings

The portal is rated on a seven-star system. Each star is assigned for certain indicators, such as the number and nature of incidents, the quality of staff and service.

449 airlines take part in the rating. After the stars are set, Airline Ratings ranks the top and worst carriers. The resulting list of the safest companies in the world is not much different from the opinion of the German JACDEC and other experts.

But the top budget companies (low-cost airlines) will definitely please future passengers. So here are the winners of the category:

The top unsafe carriers in 2019 included companies from Indonesia, Nepal and Suriname. They got 1 or 0 stars:

• The presence of an IOSA certificate - if it is, 2 stars are awarded immediately;
• Is there an airline on the EU black list;
• Are there any reported deaths in the last 10 years;
• FAA clearance to fly to the USA;
• Which of the ICAO aviation security criteria is used by the country in which the airline is located.

1. quality of service on board;
2. meals during the flight;
3. cabin comfort;
4. the level of work of baggage services;
5. ticket price.

The absolute leader in safety and service, according to The opinion West Australian, turned out to be the Australian company Qantas. As the editors of the magazine write, over the 95 years of its existence, it has outperformed its competitors and approached the standard of the world of air travel.

10 safest airlines in the world

The magazine also added a list of dubious or unsafe carriers: Indonesian - Lion Air, Batik Air, Wings Air, Xpress Air, Trans Nusa and African - Bluewing Airline.

Russian Aeroflot received the highest mark for flight safety and an average score for service.

For all the time of the development of aviation and air travel, there has been a constant increase in passenger traffic in the world. New airlines are being created, old ones are updating their aircraft fleets, and constantly improving their service. Seven years ago, it was difficult to imagine wi-fi on board an aircraft, but now it is perceived as the norm. New classes of service on board are being created, "business class" and "first" are becoming more spacious and richer, even in "economy classes" airlines allocate more space for passengers. Due to the high competition in the global markets, each airline strives to become the best.

At the moment, there are more than a thousand air carriers from various continents and countries in the world. There are basic major airlines, low-cost carriers, as well as charter and cargo flights.

In order for passengers and travelers to make fewer mistakes with the choice of a carrier, numerous ratings of world, and specifically regional aviation companies are created.

What is the rating of airlines based on?

Ratings are compiled by many different sociological companies, editorial offices of aviation magazines and online publishers, as well as the best airlines maintain their top lists. Basically, all of them are based on a survey of passengers, their impressions are collected about each airline separately, service at airports and on board, and the quality of service. Safety, the number of passengers carried per year, and the reliability of ships are taken into account.

The rating is based on a survey of travelers. The questionnaire asked for their opinions on 49 items on all the details of the flight, from the company's website to the fascination of reading magazines on board and the temperature in the cabin. More than 20 million people from 105 countries were surveyed. More than 320 airlines participated in the survey.

In the latest survey for 2017, Qatar Airways topped the list. She becomes the winner for the fourth time in a row.

Rating of the best airlines in the world

According to Skytrax in 2017, the rating of air carriers looks like this:

• Qatar Airways. The Qatari air carrier leads the ranking of the world's airlines. The company was established in 1993 and is based in Doha. The fleet consists of 216 aircraft, the main models are Boeing 777 and Airbus A320.
• Singapore Airlines. IN last years receives a rating of five stars - the highest possible among the top airlines. Founded in 1947 in Singapore. It has 115 aircraft at its disposal, mainly operates the Boeing 777.
• All Nippon Airways. Air carrier from Japan. The company was founded in 1952 and is based in Tokyo. Has a fleet of 221 aircraft. It is the main operator of the Boeing 787 model.
• Emirates Airlines. Carrier from the United Arab Emirates, established in 1985 in the city of Dubai. It communicates with almost all countries of the world on 261 ships, in particular on the A380 from Airbus and the 777 from Boeing. The world leader in the number of A380s in the fleet.
• Cathay Pacific. Hong Kong airline founded in 1946. It has 143 cars at its disposal. The basis is Boeing 777 and Airbus A330.
• EVA Air. Airline from Taiwan, started flights in 1989. The size of the fleet is 72 aircraft, of which the main ones are Airbus A321.
• Lufthansa. First European company on the list. It began its activity in 1955 in the city of Munich. Owns 272 ships. Of these, most are Airbus A320 and A321.
• Etihad Airways. The state carrier from the United Arab Emirates, is located in the capital of Abu Dhabi. The fleet consists of 123 aircraft, most of which are Airbus A330s.
• Hainan Airlines. Founded in China People's Republic in the city of Hainan in 1989. It operates 178 ships, of which the Boeing 737 has the absolute majority.
• Garuda Indonesia. Named after the bird of the Hindu god Vishnu, the company began flying in 1949 in Indonesia. Manages 142 aircraft, among which the Boeing 737 has the majority.
• Thai Airways. The airline operating in Bangkok since 1957 owns 76 aircraft. The leading positions are occupied by the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777.
• "Turkish Airlines". Founded in 1933 in Istanbul, they operate 295 ships. The Boeing 737 is the number one.
• Virgin Australia. The very first Australian carrier on the list. It was founded in 2000 in Brisbane by the famous millionaire Richard Branson. Operates 84 aircraft.
• Swiss International Airlines. Swiss airline based in Zurich. Date of establishment - 2002. Operates 75 aircraft.
• Qantas Airlines from Australia, Sydney. Works since 1920. The size of the fleet consists of 123 vessels.
• Japan Airlines, operating since 1951 and based in Tokyo. The fleet consists of 160 aircraft.
• Austrian Airlines from Vienna, founded in 1957 and has 80 aircraft in operation.
• Air France. Works since 1933 in Paris. Today it owns 224 ships.
• New Zealand Airlines. Based in the city of Auckland, they operate 56 aircraft.
• Asiana Airlines from South Korea, based in Seoul. Started flying in 1988. Operates 82 aircraft.

The best airlines from the United Arab Emirates, Emirates Airlines.

Rating of the largest air carriers in Europe

You can also single out the largest airlines in Europe. Russia is represented in it in ninth place, it was taken by Aeroflot. European airlines do not lead common list the best, but take pride of place. Passengers are most attracted by the quality of service on board, the attitude of the staff and punctuality. Airlines from the Old World prefer to use aircraft of a local manufacturer from Airbus in the fleet.

Board Austrian Airlines on landing.

• Lufthansa;
• Turkish Airlines;
• Swiss International Airlines;
• Austrian Airlines;
• Air France;
• Finnair;
• Norwegian Airlines;
• Aeroflot;
• Virgin Atlantic.

Trends in the development of world airlines

The main trends in the coming years will continue to be a decrease in the price of air tickets and an increase in passenger traffic. This mainly applies to airlines from Europe, which prefer not to inflate the price of a ticket, but work with a large flow of people. Accordingly, their flights are mostly full. Also, Europe prefers to work on a nodal system, that is, flights are short and with transfers, while American carriers focus on non-stop point-to-point flights. Accordingly, in the Old World it is necessary to develop and expand airports in order to receive a large number of transit passengers, and in America the main thing is to increase the size and range of aircraft for non-stop flights.

Such a development system leaves its mark on the aircraft industry. Since European carriers prefer their Airbus, the emphasis is on the construction of wide-body big liners to transport as many passengers as possible over a short distance. Whereas in America they prefer Boeing and the stake is on narrow-body, economical liners, which are designed for long-distance flights without transfers.

Also in Lately almost all airlines are trying to reorient themselves or create their own low-cost subsidiaries to reduce prices and increase passenger traffic.

Important! Compiling airline ratings is a very important task as it makes it easier for the passenger to select the desired carrier for their travel. The big plus of these ratings is that the travelers themselves are surveyed and indicate what they liked or not in a particular airline.

In the world every year there is an increasing number of companies engaged in passenger and cargo air transportation. There is a constant competition between them. Each air carrier strives to improve the quality of its service in order to attract as many customers as possible. Every year, various organizations, based on a survey of passengers or expert opinion, make an assessment and form the ratings of air carriers. The main evaluation criteria are the size of the carrier, the quality of service and safety.

First passenger airlines

The German company DELAG, founded in 1909, is the first passenger airline. The flights of this company were carried out on Zeppelin airships. The steward first appeared on board the airship LZ 10 Schwaben in 1911.

Fine famous company KLM, founded in 1919, is the most old airline. The oldest destination in the world is Amsterdam - London, completed on the De Havilland DH-16 airliner. At the same time, it is the very first route direction of KLM. This flight was first made by pilot Jerry Shaw and two journalists as passengers in 1920. Due to the open design of the cabins, passengers were given warm clothes and helmets. At the time, DH-16s were the highest quality airliners. Their speed developed up to 150 km / h, the duration of the flight to London was almost three hours *.

Note. Nowadays, more than 400 passenger seats, their speed develops up to 1000 km / h.

The most reliable airlines

The British company Skytrax, carrying out an annual assessment of airlines, in December conducted a study of more than 325 carriers, interviewing several million people from more than 100 nationalities. Based on the results of the evaluation, the best air carriers were awarded the World Airline Awards Skytra 2017. This is a very honorable award in the aviation industry, distinguished by the clarity of the evaluation method in determining the nominees.

The top 20 best air carriers of 2017 according to Skytrax are:

1. Qatar Airways;
2. Singapore Airlines;
3. ANA All Nippon Airways;
4. Emirates;
5. Cathay Pacific;
6. EVA Air;
7. Lufthansa;
8. Etihad Airways;
9. Hainan Airlines;
10. Garuda Indonesia;
11. Thai Airways;
12. Turkish Airlines;
13. Virgin Australia;
14. Swiss Int'l Air Lines;
15. Qantas Airways;
16. Japan Airlines;
17. Austrian;
18. Air France;
19. Air New Zealand;
20. Asia Airlines.

Top of the best low cost airlines 2017 according to Skytrax included:

1. AirAsia;
2. Norwegian;
3. jetBlue Airways;
4. easyJet;
5. Virgin America;
6. Jetstar Airways;
7. AirAsiaX;
8. Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras;
9. Southwest Airlines;
10. Indigo.

Flight safety

According to technical specifications and statistics, airliners are the safest mode of transport.

Here are just a few facts about this air transport:

• an airliner flies in the air as confidently as a car drives along a highway, and a ship sails in the sea;
• all aircraft systems have duplicates, and some of them have up to 3 spare duplicates;
• a passenger aircraft is equipped with at least 2 engines, the probability of failure of all engines at the same time is almost zero;
• the engine costs several million dollars, therefore it is under special control, it is well serviced;
• all air crashes occur due to a combination of circumstances, and not because of one reason, each incident is thoroughly investigated to prevent its reoccurrence;
• Every year, the total passenger traffic increases by 10%, and the number of accidents decreases by 15%.

The safest airlines

One of the most effective methods for determining the safety of air travel is now considered the safety index used by Jacdec, a company specializing in audits. When calculating the index, it uses 8 parameters, including accidents, passenger traffic and the length of air travel over the past 3 decades, as well as the results of audits conducted by IOSA and ICAO. Of the air carriers of the Russian Federation in the list of Jacdec 2017, Aeroflot is in 37th place.

1. Cathay Pacific Airways;
2. Air New Zealand;
3. Hawaiian Airlines;
4. Qatar Airways;
5. EVA Air;
6. Emirates;
7. Etihad Airways;
8. Qantas;
9. Japan Airlines;
10. All Nippon Airways;
11. Lufthansa;
12. TAP Portugal;
13. Virgin Atlantic;
14. Delta Air Lines;
15. Air Canada;
16. JetBlue Airlines;
17. Virgin Australia;
18. british airways;
19. Air Berlin.

Airline Service

The service provided by air carriers is divided into several levels.

The owners of the most expensive tickets are first-class passengers, respectively, they receive the greatest privileges: cozy place waiting for boarding, a more convenient check-in procedure and delivery to the airliner in a business class car or limousine, a wide range of menus, sometimes beds in separate compartments of the airliner, special care for flight attendants.

Similar privileges for business class passengers, including the right to change the date of departure without additional payment and a refund of 100% of the ticket price if necessary*. Business class is present on those flights where there is no first class.

Service and comfort in the most economical class differs from different airlines, but, at a minimum, includes a chair with a folding table and a pocket, soft and hot drinks.

Note. The difference between business and economy class for some carriers is only in the menu and courteous attitude towards passengers.

Which airline and aircraft to choose

To choose an air carrier and an airliner, before the upcoming flight, many people study various websites and ratings of the best airlines. These top lists change every year and are not completely identical across analytics sites. They are compiled on the basis of objective opinions of experts and feedback from passengers. The latter are polled, as a rule, through questionnaires on sites that track the rating of air carriers. The largest carriers in the world are evaluated using several criteria.

Airline and Aircraft Evaluation Criteria

700 or more criteria can be used to evaluate air carriers and aircraft.

The most important of them are:

• interior condition - sanitation, design, general impression;
• the comfort of the seats - how soft and spacious the seats are, are the head restraints comfortable, etc.;
• crew work - the manner of communication, the attractiveness and neatness of the form of flight attendants, the skill of pilots, which is especially evident during takeoffs and landings;
• check-in for the flight and boarding passengers on board - the efficiency and coordination of the work of the airline's employees during this procedure;
• food - variety and quality of food during the voyage;
• leisure organization - many airlines do not pay much attention to the entertainment of passengers during the flight, especially low-cost carriers;
• online services - ticket booking, electronic registration etc.

Rating of safe airlines in Russia (list 2017)

In total, there are 80 air carriers in Russia, including Ural Airlines ( Ural Airlines), Azur Air("Azur Air"), Vim Avia ("Vim Avia") and others. The most famous among Russian airlines is Aeroflot (Aeroflot).

According to the results of the assessment by the Aviaport agency, conducted at the end of last year, the rating of Russian airlines in terms of flight reliability and safety 2017 was published. The assessment covered more than 20 carriers operating domestic flights in Russia. The evaluation compared the service of airlines on domestic and international routes.

1. "Aeroflot";
2. S7 Airlines;
3. "Russia";
4. "UTair";
5. "Ural Airlines";
6. "Victory";
7. "Globe";
8. Azura Air.

Which airlines are the most reliable in Russia according to passengers

The opinion of passengers about Russian airlines can be found on the website https://www.tutu.ru/. This travel service invites passengers to rate their impression of the airline on a 10-point scale. Passengers leave their opinion the next day after the flight by filling out a questionnaire and writing a comment in any form. Thus, anyone visiting Tutu.ru can see the current rating of airlines based on the ratings of 10,000 passengers.

Top top airlines in Russia according to passengers*:

1. "Aeroflot";
2. S7 Airlines;
3. "Russia";
4. "Yamal";
5. "Nordavia";
6. "Ural Airlines";
7. "Yakutia";
8. "UTair";
9. "North wind";
10. "Victory".

The best in the opinion of passengers are Aeroflot, which scored 9.4 points, S7 Airlines with its own 9.2 points, Rossiya and Yamal, which received 9.1 points each from passengers, and Nordavia with 9 points.

After reviewing the ratings of the airline on various analytical sites and determining which of them are recognized as the best and safest according to experts and passengers in 2017, it will not be difficult to choose a reliable air carrier for travel.

As you know, it is very difficult to travel by trains or cars throughout the vast territory of Russia. If in Europe you can rent a car and go to any neighboring country or drive around the entire European Union, then in Russia even a trip to nearby town can take a lot of time and effort. That is why air transportation for Russia plays a colossal role. In this article, we will try to highlight the best airlines in Russia.

"Aeroflot"

The famous Russian airline Aeroflot was founded back in 1923. Today it produces about 11% of all air traffic within Russia and about 40% of international flights. The numbers are really amazing! Even Russia's other best airlines are unlikely to compare with Aeroflot, which is trusted by millions of people.

This company makes, perhaps, air transportation to almost all corners of our big world. Aircraft fly to the CIS countries, in and South America. Since February 2012, Aeroflot has become even more popular in Russia.

"Siberia"

The best airlines in Russia also include one of the most progressive Russian lines called "Siberia". The airline was founded in 1957, and also has bases at three airports: Moscow's Domodedovo, Novosibirsk's Tolmachevo, and Irkutsk airport. To date, passenger transportation by this air carrier is carried out both within Russia and abroad. The company has about 130 destinations in 29 countries. The best airlines in Russia made room when Siberia began to gain popularity. Today it is fighting for the leader's position with the Aeroflot airline.

by the most popular destinations the following cities are considered: Dubai, Istanbul, Bangkok, Düsseldorf, Munich, and Tel Aviv. In 2011, this airline had a big breakthrough - they made about 60,000 flights per year.

"Ural Airlines"

Two decades ago, the best airlines in Russia made room because the famous Ural Airlines opened. Today the headquarters of this company is located in Yekaterinburg. Her work is focused on charter air transportation, as well as scheduled domestic and, of course, international flights.

From the very beginning of the company "Ural Airlines" its leader, owner and director is the famous pilot of the 1st class, Honored Worker of the Russian Federation, who was also awarded the Order of Honor. In mid-September, this company was included in the sanctions list of Ukraine.

We realized that Ural Airlines is a serious competitor, despite the fact that it is quite young compared to them. The company's plane took off its first millionth passenger in 2006, after which its business went like clockwork. The breakthrough for Ural Airlines occurred between 2011 and 2012, when the number of customers exceeded 40%. What is the best airline in Russia? Someone might say that this is a young, but already mega-popular Russian company. And he will be absolutely right.

In addition, Ural Airlines has many agreements with the most reliable and rated foreign airlines. Among them is the Czech giant Czech Airlines, and Dubai-based Emirates, which has been at the top of international ratings for many years.

The fleet of this airline consists exclusively of new aircraft, and only 35 (as of 2015).

Company "Yamal"

The top of the best airlines in Russia was replenished in 1997, when the Yamal transport company began to operate. Of course, so far it is not as popular as others, but it is gaining momentum very quickly.

Yamal is a full-fledged Russian carrier, performs charter and regular flights in Russia and in some foreign cities. The main airports where Yamal planes arrive are Domodedovo, Roschino in Tyumen and Salekhard. The largest owner of this airline (it owns about 97% of all shares of the company) is the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

In 2008, the Yamal company had a breakthrough - its aircraft began to fly to Geneva (Switzerland), Salzburg (Austria), Burgas (Bulgaria), Pardubice (Czech Republic), and also to the best Russian airlines. for security reasons, Yamal never entered.

"UTair"

UTair was founded back in 1934, but began operating only in 1991. It is characterized by the fact that it has a huge, largest helicopter fleet in Russia. This fleet operates not only in Russia, but also in various countries abroad. UTair Aviation ranks second in terms of passenger turnover after Aeroflot. For example, for the whole of 2015, she was lucky to carry almost 9 million people, which is a huge figure for Russian airlines.

The headquarters is located in Tyumen.

UTair has a fleet - helicopter and aircraft. The airline's aircraft fleet is very rich - it owns 63 aircraft (as of the beginning of 2016). However, earlier the company had much more aircraft. In 2014, the company was in a critical situation, it lacked finances. UTair's helicopter fleet consists of 340 pieces of equipment, including the largest cargo-lifting helicopters capable of carrying about 20 tons at a time.

"Kuban"

The airline "Kuban" is not very large, it has only 6 aircraft in its arsenal. But due to the fact that they monitor the safety and quality of the flights, the company was included in the list of the best airlines in Russia. Despite huge incomes, in 2012 its owners declared bankruptcy and closed Kuban. Strange, but it is still included in the rating of the best airlines in Russia.

It is extremely difficult to judge which airline is better in Russia if you have not used the services of each of them. However, the choice is always made by people who use the services of different airlines. Today, Russian airlines lag behind in terms of quality of service, but still, the best Russian airlines are developing rapidly and always offer customers something new.