Aircraft companies. The best airlines in Russia: list, description, reviews. Charter flights of Russian air carriers: rating

Air liners today are the most popular way to travel from one point to another. Thanks to a large number of airlines, a passenger can choose the right carrier for themselves, focusing on their own preferences and reviews of other travelers left on the Internet. In recent years, the list of Russian airlines has been replenished with new names that have not yet gained popularity among the general mass of our compatriots. Therefore, the issue of choosing the right carrier becomes more and more acute over time, especially in the summer season, when most Russians tend to go on vacation. In our article you can get acquainted with the lists of Russian airlines, formed according to different characteristics. You will also find out by what criteria the average passenger makes a choice.

Grade Options

Every year, airline ratings are published on the Internet, created on the basis of passenger ratings posted on the carrier's official website. Most often, they are formed by automated systems, regardless of company ownership. From time to time, Russian airlines also get into this list of the best airlines, although they do not yet occupy places in the top three leaders. Most often, when creating a rating, the following indicators are taken into account:

• fleet size;
• technical condition of air liners;
• the level of passenger traffic;
• service on board;
• food quality;
• technical equipment of the salon (uninterrupted Wi-Fi, the ability to communicate by mobile phone, and so on);
• reliability.

Usually, an automated program adds up all the ratings for the parameters listed above and, depending on the result, puts the airline in one place or another in the rating. However, it is not always convenient for our compatriots to be guided by such a list, because there are not too many Russian air carriers in them. What to do if you are interested in a list of airlines from Russia? To this end, we have collected in the article our own ratings of domestic carriers, formed according to various characteristics.

The most reliable airlines

What flight is each passenger looking forward to? Of course, comfortable, tasty and fast, but first of all, we all hope that the flight will be safe. Therefore, this characteristic worries our compatriots most of all when they face the question of choosing an air carrier. We present to your attention the TOP-5 most reliable airlines in Russia. The list looks like this:

• "Aeroflot";
• "Russia";
• "Victory";
• "Yamal";
• I fly.

We will briefly describe each company.

"Aeroflot"

For several years, this leader has not yielded to anyone in the list of the safest air carriers. It is known that the company's liners are regularly updated and their average age is four years.

Aeroflot is based in Moscow and has an aircraft fleet of more than one hundred and fifty liners. The company's rating adds a ten-year membership in the international association of air carriers.

"Russia"

This airline deserves the second place in the list. The base airfield is Pulkovo in St. Petersburg. Interestingly, a few years ago, the carrier was ranked third in a similar rating. Now, despite the average age of the liners, reaching eleven or thirteen years, "Russia" was able to improve its result. The aircraft fleet includes, according to the latest data, forty-four aircraft.

Initially, the company was part of the Aeroflot group, but not so long ago it merged with Orenburg AL.

"Victory"

This company is a popular Russian low-cost airline. It has about twelve airliners, the average age of which does not exceed two years. This gives Pobeda the opportunity to receive very high ratings from passengers who note the novelty of the aircraft and the comfort of the cabin on each flight.

The airline is based at Vnukovo airport. Aircraft maintenance is also carried out here.

"Yamal"

This airline is well known in the West Siberian region, it is based in Salekhard and owns an extensive aircraft fleet. Passengers speak positively about the flights carried out with the help of this carrier. In addition, it has a very wide geography of routes.

Yamal owns twenty-four aircraft, but their average age is fourteen years.

I Fly

It is one of the youngest airlines in the country. It is based in Vnukovo and has only four airliners. Their age exceeds seventeen years, but still the air carrier is confidently holding the fifth place in our rating, which is quite surprising for such a young organization.

There are not too many reviews about this carrier on the Internet, but more than sixty percent of them are positive. This is what allowed the airline to take such a high position in the ranking of reliable air carriers.

The largest airlines in Russia: list

The top five carriers are as follows:

• Aeroflot. Not surprisingly, this organization is the leader in this rating. Russia's oldest airline operates with fifty countries of the world and annually transports eight and a half million people. According to the latest data, the air carrier operates on one hundred and thirty-one routes.
• S7. Every inhabitant of Siberia is familiar with the logo and colors of this company. Every year, its services are used by two million six hundred thousand people, they fly to eighty-three directions. With this air carrier, passengers can move within the country and fly to foreign resorts.
• UTair. Everyone knows that the airline will survive the crisis that has been going on for several years. But even he did not affect the rating of the air carrier. The significantly reduced fleet of UTair now numbers sixty liners, which annually carry one million six hundred thousand passengers on domestic and international routes.
• Ural Airlines. This organization is actively increasing its positions, it owns thirty-seven fairly new aircraft. All passengers note the high level of comfort during the flight and delicious hot meals, which are provided on long-distance routes.
• "Russia". We already wrote about this airline in the previous rating, where it ranked second in terms of reliability. Passenger traffic of one million three hundred thousand people allowed Rossiya to enter the list of the country's largest air carriers.

Russian airlines, list: rating of the most low-cost air carriers

In Europe, numerous low-cost airlines are very active, providing passengers with cheap air tickets, the cost of which includes a minimum package of services on board. Thanks to such companies, even students can afford to travel to different countries.

However, when we tried to compile a list of cheap airlines in Russia, it turned out that our country cannot boast even two low-cost carriers. Therefore, only one company, Pobeda, was included in our rating. This carrier was created three years ago specifically to make it easier for Russians to move around our vast country. It replaced the first domestic low-cost airline Dobrolet, which did not last long.

Our compatriots in their reviews always note low ticket prices, punctuality and professionalism of employees. Therefore, if you want to relax as cheaply as possible, then purchase tickets for Pobeda flights.

Charter flights of Russian air carriers: rating

In the summer season, when passenger traffic increases markedly, Russian charter airlines become in demand. Their list is not too extensive, it is represented by only two organizations:

• Azura Air. This airline has been operating for three years and operates flights for the tourist operator Anex. On average, the carrier operates flights on eighteen routes, the average age of aircraft is almost twenty years.
• Royal flight. This charter originated from an air cargo company three years ago. Royal Flight currently operates flights for the travel operator Coral Travel. The airline has mastered the Asian direction and several routes to the resorts of Greece.

We hope that with the help of our article it will become much easier for you to navigate the Russian air carriers, and your flight will be comfortable, inexpensive and safe.

Summing up the results of 2017, the Federal Air Transport Agency published a brief statistics on the work of civil aviation in the Russian Federation. The big picture for participants rating of Russian airlines in 2018 looks favorable. The air transportation market continues to develop, and almost all reliable Russian airlines included in the list showed an increase in the number of passengers and kilometers flown by an average of 15%. At the same time, the weight of the top five airlines continues to grow. If in 2017 they occupied 67.4% of the total volume, then in 2018 it is already 85%.

Travel with a reliable tour operator: .

Read also:, the best air carriers of the year according to Skytrax.

Opens the rating of the largest airlines in Russia Nordwind Airlines, aka "North Wind". Over the past year, the number of passengers amounted to 3.5 million people and increased by 95% compared to 2016. Passenger turnover also showed growth, increasing by 44%.

One of the largest charter carriers in Russia, which carried more than 2.2 million passengers in 2017, was called to the carpet at the Federal Air Transport Agency in the summer of 2016 due to constant long flight delays up to several tens of hours. The carrier promised to take action. In case of inability to establish regular flights at the exact time, the company faces a restriction on transportation.

Azur Air was a subsidiary of UTair, but two years ago it set off on its own. In 2017, the number of passengers of the company amounted to 3.6 million people, almost 2/3 more than in 2016.

Globus is part of the S7 Group, being a subsidiary of the aviation giant Siberia, which took second place in the ranking of the best airlines. 2017 turned out to be favorable for the company - the number of passengers increased by 20.2%, amounting to 4.1 million people.

The subsidiary of Aeroflot, which took over from Dobrolet, who died as a result of UES sanctions, is positioned as a budget company. Although the first tickets for flights of the new airline were sold only two years ago, it confidently entered the top 10 Russian airlines.

The number of passengers in 2017 amounted to 4.3 million people, an increase of 5% compared to 2016. Despite his youth, the flights of "Victory" have already managed to acquire scandals. Users are dissatisfied with the policy of withholding the real price for the flight, the requirement to pay for the opportunity to sit together with families, flight delays and cases when tickets for a flight are sold more than the number of seats.

In fifth place in the ranking of Russian airlines in 2018 is Ural Airlines, which transported 7.5 million people in 2017, demonstrating an increase of 25%. In the meantime, the company requires the Federal Air Transport Agency to pay for the transportation of WWII veterans to celebrate the anniversary of the Victory in 2015. The Rosaviatsia rejected the application for payment, finding fault with the fact that it does not contain the words “including VAT” and other points of the same degree of importance.

The owner of the world's largest operating helicopter fleet appears to have recovered from the late 2014 crisis. In 2017, the number of passengers carried by this company amounted to 6.8 million people, an increase of 9.1% compared to 2016.

The second subsidiary of the giant Aeroflot, ranked among the top ten Russian airlines in 2018, carried more than 10.6 million people last year, posting an impressive 41.5% growth in passenger numbers, the highest of the participating airlines. At the same time, the passenger turnover increased by 55.3%.

In second place in the ranking of the largest airlines in Russia is Siberia, aka S7 Airlines, which operates flights to 83 destinations both in Russia and abroad. Most of the latter, however, are served by partner airlines. In total, 9.3 million passengers were transported in 2017.

Russians continue to fly with Aeroflot aircraft. In 2017, the company transported more than 30.5 million people, outperforming Siberia, which took second place in the rating, by more than 3 times. No wonder, because Aeroflot is the largest and oldest Russian airline, which has been carrying passengers since 1923. Although the company was included in the black sanctions list of Ukraine, this does not prevent an increase in the number of shipments.

According to such criteria as the number of passengers and passenger turnover, the company recorded an increase of 12% over the past year. By the way, Aeroflot can also be called one of the safest airlines in 2018 in Russia- there has not been a single major plane crash on its lines, counting, of course, subsidiaries and accidents caused by the actions of third parties. In the airline safety rating published in 2017 by the JACDEC auditing company, Aeroflot ranks 37th.

2017 World Airlines Safety Rating (JACDEC)

List of 37 Russian airlines operating in 2019 that operate scheduled, charter and subsidized flights. The sections about airlines contain only the most important and useful information: flight search, promotions, news, popular destinations, ticket and baggage rates, as well as passenger reviews.

In addition, airline contacts are indicated: telephones, e-mail, feedback forms, IATA and ICAO codes, aviation alliances and miles programs.

Avrora Airlines is a Russian regional airline based in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, part of the Aeroflot group of companies. Last year, Aurora Airlines carried 1.3 million passengers and ranked 12th in Russia in terms of traffic.

Azimuth Airlines is a new private Russian airline established in Rostov-on-Don. The airline operates domestic flights to southern destinations, and also connects the south and center of Russia. Azimuth plans to open flights to Europe in the near future.

Azur Air ("Azur Air") is a Russian charter airline that operates flights to international tourist destinations from 32 cities in Russia. Azur Air is one of the 10 largest Russian airlines. The services of the air carrier are annually used by 2.3 million passengers.

Alrosa Airlines is a Russian regional air carrier operating flights in Yakutia, regular and charter flights within Russia, charter international flights to Asia, Europe and the CIS. Alrosa Airlines is a subsidiary of the diamond mining company of the same name. The airline carries about 1.08 million passengers annually.

Angara is a Russian regional airline founded in 2000. It operates regular and charter flights in the Irkutsk region, Siberia and the Russian Far East. Angara is the main air carrier of the government of the Irkutsk region, and is also part of the Eastland group of companies, the largest tour operator in Eastern Siberia. It carries about 130 thousand passengers a year.

Aeroservice is a Russian regional airline founded in 2010. Performs regular passenger flights to the cities of the Trans-Baikal Territory of Russia, as well as search, medical flights and aerial photography. The route network consists of 13 destinations.

Aeroflot Russian Airlines is the national air carrier of Russia: the share of flights performed is 47% domestic and 37% international. Aeroflot is a premium airline and the only one in Russia that has received 5 stars according to the prestigious SkyTrax rating. The airline has a large route network: there are 350 regular flights in the schedule. The airline carries 26 million people annually.

Vologda Aviation Enterprise is a Russian regional airline founded in 1928. It performs passenger, cargo, rescue flights, as well as maintenance of gas and oil pipelines. The airline's route network is small, covering 5 cities.

Gazprom Avia is a Russian corporate airline founded in 1995. Carries out regular and charter cargo-passenger flights throughout Russia, to the countries of Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia. Gazprom Avia also does business, rescue, reconnaissance and rotational transportation. The airline owns 3 Russian airports: Ostafievo, Bovanenkovo ​​and Yamburg. Gazprom Avia transports more than 250,000 passengers a year.

Globus is a Russian airline established in 2008. Globus air carrier is part of the S7 Group. Performs regular and charter flights across Russia, to the CIS countries and Europe. The airline cooperates with travel agencies, so many flight routes depend on the tourist seasons.

Izhavia Airlines is a Russian regional state-owned carrier operating regular and charter flights from Izhevsk throughout Russia and the CIS countries. The airline is owned by the government of Udmurtia. Izhavia services are used by 300 thousand people a year.

IrAero Airlines is a Russian regional air carrier that operates regular and charter flights from Irkutsk to cities in Russia, neighboring countries and China. The airline's services are used by 200,000 passengers a year.

iFly Airlines is a Russian charter air carrier. Performs flights for tour operators Tez Tour and Tui. According to the results of last year, iFly carried 401,000 passengers.

Komiaviatrans is a Russian regional airline established in 1998. Performs passenger, cargo, rescue flights in the Komi Republic, as well as to major cities of Russia. The airline's route network is small, covering settlements in hard-to-reach areas. The airline owns 7 airports in the Komi Republic. 146,000 passengers use Komiaviatrans services annually.

Kostroma Aviation Enterprise is a Russian regional airline founded in 1944. Performs passenger, cargo, rescue flights in the Kostroma region. The airline's route network consists of 3 destinations, 2 of which go to the south of Russia during the summer season.

KrasAvia is a Russian regional air carrier of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It flies from Krasnoyarsk to the regional municipal centers of the Far North of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the city of the Far East, performs regular and charter flights by planes and helicopters. In addition, KrasAvia owns a network of airports in Siberia. About 180 thousand passengers use the services of the Krasnoyarsk airline annually.

Nordavia Airlines is a Russian regional air carrier, with most of its flights being flights between northwestern cities of Russia. Nordavia has expanded its flight map and operates flights from the northern region of the country to the southern and central regions. The airline strives to create a network of low-cost passenger transportation and adheres to a flexible pricing policy. In addition to regular flights, Nordavia operates charter flights. About 960,000 passengers use the airline's services annually.

Nordwind Airlines ("Nordwind", "Northern Wind") is a Russian airline specializing in direct flights to Simferopol (Crimea) from Russian cities and charter flights to America, Asia, Africa and Europe. The air carrier is included in 10 major Russian airlines. Nordwind services are used by 1.7 million passengers a year.

NordStar ("NordStar") is a Russian airline established in 2008, one of the 15 largest airlines in Russia. The airline was called Taimyr, in 2016 there was a reorganization after which the carrier was renamed NordStar. It is the main air carrier in Siberia, mainly in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, connects the base city of Norilsk and other settlements of the Territory with neighboring regions, and operates flights to hard-to-reach northern directions. 1.4 million people use NordStar services annually.

Orenburgye is a Russian regional airline founded in 2013. The carrier belongs to Orenburg Airport. It operates regular passenger flights to Russian cities. The airline's route network is small, consisting of 5 destinations. In addition, the carrier makes seasonal flights to Russian resorts. 31,000 passengers use Orenburg's services annually.

Pegas Fly Airlines (Pegas Fly), also known as Ikar Airlines, is a Russian passenger air carrier operating regular flights in Russia and charter flights abroad. The base airport of the airline is located in Krasnoyarsk, branches are located in Moscow and Khabarovsk. Pegas Fly carried 988,000 passengers last year.

Pobeda Airlines is a Russian low-cost airline, part of the Aeroflot group of companies. Implements a low-cost carrier project: cheap tickets, short flights, new aircraft of the same model with economy class cabins, strict baggage requirements and paid services. This allows the airline to save on costs and sell plane tickets at low prices. One of the priority tasks of Pobeda is to increase the transport accessibility of Russian cities.

Polar Airlines is a Russian regional airline established in 1997. It operates passenger, cargo, rescue and custom tourist flights in Yakutia. The route network of Polar Airlines covers more than 100 settlements of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), including remote Arctic regions. The airline serves 120,000 passengers a year.

Red Wings is one of the most dynamically developing airlines in Russia: the air carrier has more than doubled in four years. It operates regular flights from Moscow to the central and southern regions of Russia and charter flights abroad. About 900,000 people use the airline's services annually.

Rossiya Airlines is a large Russian company in the middle price segment. The majority of flights are operated from St. Petersburg and Moscow, the carrier's base cities. It is part of the Aeroflot group of companies and offers passengers the Aeroflot Bonus bonus program. Over the past year, Rossiya Airlines carried 8 million passengers and ranked third in the country.

Royal Flight is a Russian charter airline established in 2014. Carries out passenger transportation by order of large tourist operators Pegas, Coral Travel and Sunmar from Russian cities abroad. Royal Flight services are used by 5 million passengers a year.

RusLine Airlines is a Russian regional air carrier. It operates regular and charter flights across Russia, to Europe, the Baltic States, the CIS and Turkey. About 600,000 people use the airline's services annually.

S7 Airlines is one of the leading Russian airlines and ranks second in Russia in terms of the number of passengers carried. The majority of flights are operated from Moscow and Novosibirsk, the carrier's base cities. Under the single brand S7 Airlines, Siberia Airlines and Globus Airlines, which mainly operate charter flights, can operate flights. Last year, 10.6 million people chose to fly with the S7.

Severstal is a Russian regional airline founded in 1998. The airline is the operator of the Cherepovets airport. Performs regular and charter passenger transportation to the cities of Russia and abroad. The route network consists of 16 destinations, and the airline also makes seasonal flights to resorts. Severstal has repeatedly received the title of one of the most punctual airlines from Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Cherepovets airline services are used by 230,000 passengers a year.

SiLA (Siberian Light Aviation) is a Russian regional airline founded in 2008. Carries out regular and custom passenger transportation on the territory of the Kolyma Territory and Siberia. The carrier also makes forest patrol and rescue flights. The airline's route network is small, consisting of 16 destinations.

The Greek airline Aegean Airlines was founded in 1999 on the basis of the private airline Aegean Aviation, which was the first in Greece to receive an operator certificate and was engaged in charter flights on aircraft of the Bombardier Learjet Family (transportation of 7-10 passengers over distances up to 3,778 - 5,556 kilometers). Aegean Airlines operated its first flights in May 1999 (Athens - Heraklion flight and Athens - Thessaloniki flight)...

The Argentine airline Aerolineas Argentinas was founded on December 7, 1950 by State Decree Nº 26.099. Next year, the Inter-American Association "Press Information Society" recognizes Aerolineas Argentinas as the world's best commercial airline in terms of organizational efficiency and quality of service. On January 27, 1953, Aerolineas Argentinas began operating regular flights from Buenos Aires to...

The Mexican airline Aeromexico was founded on October 1, 1988. However, Aeromexico has a longer history as Aeromexico's roots go back to Aeronaves de Mexico, which made its first Mexico City-Acapulco flight on a Stinson SR as early as September 14, 1934. After the formation of Aerovias de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (which used the "Aeromexico" trademark and the "Eagle Warrior" emblem) the airline...

The low-cost airline from the United Arab Emirates, Air Arabia, performed its first flight to Sharjah Manama on October 28, 2003. Since then, Air Arabia has been methodically increasing the number of destinations it operates. Air Arabia made a particularly noticeable increase in the number of new destinations in 2009, 2011 and 2012. A rather interesting fact is that in the expanses of the former ...

Air Astana is the undoubted leader among the airlines of Kazakhstan. Air Astana operated its first flight on May 15, 2002 on the route Almaty - Astana. The presence among the shareholders of a company that itself is engaged in the production of aircraft (BAE Systems, as part of the Eurofighter GmbH consortium, is engaged in the production of part of the fourth-generation multi-role fighter Eurofighter Typhoon, thanks to which our MiG-35s ...

Founded by former Pan American pilot Kim Lundgren, Air Berlin operated its first flight from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca on April 28, 1979, on a Boeing 707. In April 1991, Air Berlin underwent a major transformation. After the purchase of 82.5% of the shares of Air Berlin by Joachim Hunold, the company was renamed from Air Berlin Inc. at Air Berlin GmbH & Co. ...

Canadian airline Air Canada performed its first flight on September 1, 1937, when it transported two passengers and mail from Vancouver to Seattle in a Lockheed L-10A aircraft (though Air Canada was called Trans-Canada Air Lines at the time). Air Canada did not get its current name until 1964. Since 1984, Air Canada has launched its frequent flyer program Aeropl...

Air China Limited was established on the basis of its predecessor Air China and began operations on September 30, 2004, providing air transportation services under the control of China Aviation Group. Air China is China's premier civil aviation carrier and a member of the world's largest aviation alliance, Star Alliance (28 airlines). Air China operates 284 passenger aircraft...

Air Europa (Air Europa Lineas Aereas, S.A.U.) was founded in 1986 and initially operated charter flights. In 1991, Air Europa was acquired by a group of investors led by Juan José Hidalgo. In 1993, Air Europa began to operate regular flights within Spain. In 1994, Air Europa began operating regular flights Madrid - Barcelona and challenged Ibe...

Air France was born from a merger between the five French airlines Air Union, Air Orient, Societe Generale de Transport Aerien (SGTA), CIDNA and Aeropostale signed on August 17, 1933. Air France operated its first flight at 4:45 am on September 1, 1933 (flight AF-491 from Marseille to Toulouse). A little later (at 8:30) the second flight of Air France (AF-471) operated to Strasbourg from Par...

Air Malta was registered on March 30, 1973 and already on April 1, 1973, as a gift from the Prime Minister of Malta, received a license to carry out air transportation for a period of 10 years. However, Air Malta was able to complete its first flight only a year later. Having leased 2 Boeing 720B aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines on April 1, 1974, Air Malta began ...

The official founding date of Air Moldova is considered to be January 12, 1993 (decree of the President of the Republic of Moldova), however, Air Moldova employees, not without reason, have a slightly different opinion. The fact is that the Air Moldova airline emerged as a result of the reorganization of the aviation industry in Moldova, having received both flight and service units from it. In fact, Air Moldova is a continuation of...

Air New Zealand began its history in April 1940. At that time, Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) began operating trans-Tasman flights in flying boats. The Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) airline quickly expanded its route network (Australia, Asia, USA, Great Britain, Germany) and in 1951 opened the very popular Pacific Coral Route Auckland-Fiji, which interested the ruler ...

Based at Belgrade International Airport, Air Serbia was created as a result of the rebranding of Jat Airways. After several attempts, on August 1, 2013, the government of the Republic of Serbia signed an agreement with Etihad Airways. According to this agreement: the national airline of Serbia, Jat Airways, is obliged to change its name to Air Serbia; 49% of the shares of Air Serbia become the property of the airline...

The Air Seychelles airline was organized in 1978, as a result of the renaming of the state airline of the Republic of Seychelles (formed in 1977, through the purchase by the government of several small air carrier companies operating flights between the islands of Mahe, Praslin and Frigate). Air Seychelles was originally positioned as an air carrier to operate only domestic flights. However, in...

The history of airBaltic began with the signing of the joint venture agreement AIR BALTIC CORPORATION SIA on August 28, 1995. On October 1, 1995, the first airBaltic SAAB 340 aircraft landed at Riga Airport (a passenger turboprop aircraft capable of carrying from 30 to 36 people over distances up to 1730 km). In 1996, airBaltic receives its first AVRO RJ70 aircraft and joins the SAS program...

Air One S.p.A., operating as Air One "Smart Carrier" is an Italian low-cost airline headquartered in Fiumicino (Rome), a subsidiary of the country's flag carrier Alitalia. The transit hubs (hubs) of the carrier are Milan Malpensa Airport, Pisa Airport, Venice Marco Polo Airport and Catania Fontanarossa Airport. Immediately before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was the second largest airline ...

AirX Charter is Malta's private charter airline. AirX is European Aviation Operator (AOC) certified in Malta and has a fleet of 18 aircraft. The airline's fleet consists of: Airbus A340, 3 x Boeing 737 (two in VIP configuration), 7 x Bombardier Challenger 850, 4 x Cessna Citation X, 3 x Embraer Legacy 600....

The largest airline in Italy, Alitalia, was founded in September 1946 and at that time was called Alitalia-Aereolinee Italiane Internazionali. Alitalia performed its first flight on May 5, 1947 on a three-engine Fiat G-12 aircraft (flight Turin - Rome - Catania). In July of the same year, Alitalia makes its first international flight. On a Savoia Marchetti SM95 aircraft, Alitalia f...

The largest air carrier in the United States, American Airlines, was formed in 1934, after the renaming of American Airways, leading its history from April 15, 1926. In 1937 (February 16), American Airlines carried its millionth passenger. On January 25, 1959, American Airlines makes its first transcontinental flight. In 1998, American Airlines became the first airline...

The Japanese airline ANA was established on April 1, 2013, in connection with the transition of All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. for the holding structure and transformation into ANA HOLDINGS INC. The history of ANA began in December 1952 when Japan Helicopter & Airplane Transports Co., Ltd. was established. Launched in February 1953, Japan Helicopter & Airplane Transports C...

Asiana Airlines was founded on February 17, 1988. Ten months later (December 10), Asiana Airlines acquires a Boeing B737-400 and begins domestic flights (from Seoul to Busan and Gwangju). Already in December 1989, Asiana Airlines operates its first international flight (Seoul-Sendai charter flight). Asiana Airlines begins to rapidly develop its own infrastructure and...

Based at the Greek International Airport of Thessaloniki, Astra Airlines operated its first flight in the summer of 2008. Specializing in charter flights, Astra Airlines is JAR-OPS-1 (AOC) certified and strictly adheres to the safety regulations set by JAA/EASA. With an air fleet at its disposal, consisting of two medium-sized aircraft BAe-146-300 "Whisperjet" and ...

Atlasglobal (until 2015 Atlasjet; official name Atlasjet Havacılık A.Ş.) is a Turkish airline operating scheduled and charter passenger flights both in Europe and Asia, and within Turkey. Based at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, with an additional hub at Dalaman Airport. Owned by ETS Group....

On April 4, 1957, as a result of the merger of both Austrian airlines (Air Austria and Austrian Airways), Austrian Airlines was created, which was officially registered as Austrian Airlines AG on September 30, 1957. March 31, 1958, Austrian Airlines performed its first flight (Vienna - London). To operate its flights until March 1, 1960, Austrian Airlines uses its four turbochargers ...

Colombian airline Avianca is the largest carrier in Latin America. Avianca's history began with the creation of Colombia's national airline, Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transporte Aereo (SCADTA), on December 5, 1919. SCADTA made its first flight, during which one passenger with two pilots flew from Barranquil to Puerto Berrio, in September 1920. July 23, 1921, and...

Azur Air (legal name PKF KATEKAVIA LLC) is a Russian charter airline based at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. Since 2015, it has been part of the Anex Tourism Group tourist holding and has been working for the needs of the tour operator Anex Tour, operating international charter flights from Russian cities. Until the end of 2014, the company was called Katekavia and was a regional airline specializing in air transportation in the Siberian and Volga regions ...

The private Italian airline Blue Panorama Airlines was founded in 1998 and performed its first flight in December this year. Blue Panorama Airlines specialized in both scheduled and charter flights from Italy. By establishing codeshare agreements with Alitalia, Blue Air and Cubana de Aviacion, Blue Panorama Airlines is significantly expanding its route network. Blue Pan Airlines...

The Greek airline Bluebird Airways was founded in 2008. The main location of Bluebird Airways is Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" from which the airline begins to operate both regular and charter flights to Russia, Turkey and Israel. In 2010, Bluebird Airways becomes a member of the Versus Group and begins to operate significantly more flights to Russia on its only...

The British airline British Midland Airways (BMI) began existence in 1938 as a flight school that trained pilots for the RAF. Starting in 1949, the airline continued to operate regular commercial flights under the name Derby Aviation, and since 1953, the airline began to deal only with air transportation and changed its name to Derby Airways. Since 1964 it bears its current name - British ...

British Airways is the national airline of the United Kingdom based at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK in terms of fleet size and international flights. British Airways was created on the basis of AT&T, an air carrier that operated flights from London to Paris, and was registered in 1974. British Airways is one of the founders of Al...

The Belgian airline Brussels Airlines was founded on March 25, 2007, as a result of the merger of two airlines (SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express) owned by SN Airholding. On September 15, 2008, Lufthansa acquires a 45% stake in SN Airholding with the option to buy the remaining 55% starting in 2011. On December 9, 2009, Brussels Airlines becomes an official member of the Star...

Bul Air is a Bulgarian charter airline. It is a subsidiary of Bulgaria Air On charter flights, Bul Air operates its own fleet of Boeing 737-300 aircraft (148 seats in economy class), the impeccable technical condition of which is ensured by Lufthansa Technik Sofia. In the future, the company plans to expand its fleet with Boeing 737-800NG aircraft ( 189 seats in economy class). This aircraft is considered the most...

Bulgaria Air is the national carrier of the Republic of Bulgaria, which operates regular flights from Sofia and Varna to 28 destinations. Thanks to codeshare agreements with KLM, Air France, Brussels Airlines, Czech Airlines, El Al, LOT Polish Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Austrian Airlines, Alitalia, Air One and Aeroflot, Bulgaria Air customers have access to a route network from ...

Based in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways was originally founded in Shanghai on September 24, 1946. Cathay Pacific Airways operated its first flight on the Hong Kong-Manila-Shanghai route on its first Douglas DC-3 named "Betsy". A rather interesting fact in the history of Cathay Pacific Airways is that by selling "Betsy" in 1955, 30 years later, Cathay Pacific Airways returned to...

China Airlines was founded on December 16, 1959. China Airlines began its operations with 26 employees and an air fleet of three military aircraft (one Douglas C-54 Skymaster military transport aircraft and two PBY Catalina maritime patrol bombers). In 1961, China Airlines began carrying military supplies to Laos. In 1962, the aviation...

China Eastern Airlines was established from the East China Regional Office of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of the People's Republic of China on June 25, 1988. By January 2010, China Eastern Airlines had an air fleet of 330 large and medium passenger aircraft, as well as 18 general aviation aircraft, which operated flights to 151 destinations. At the moment, the air fleet of the airline...

China Southern Airlines has been operating at Guangzhou Airport since 1989. Today, China Southern Airlines is the largest carrier in the People's Republic of China, with 1,930 flights every day to 193 destinations in 35 countries. China Southern Airlines is the first airline in the world to use Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 aircraft. So far,...

Cobalt Air ("Cobalt Air") is the youngest air carrier in Europe, whose specialization is the delivery of the resting public to the resorts of Cyprus. The chosen format of work is low-cost. The airline performed its first flight on July 07, 2016. The fleet consists of six aircraft - four Airbus A320s and two A319s. Serves 16 regular destinations....

Copa Airlines was founded in 1947 as the flag carrier of Panama under the name Compania Panamena de Aviacion (COPA). Starting to operate domestic flights connecting three cities on Douglas DC-3 / C47 aircraft, COPA already operated 3 international flights per week in 1996 (the first international line of Copa Airlines Panama - San Jose). Having replenished its air fleet in 1969 with a short-haul ...

The national carrier of the Republic of Croatia, Croatia Airlines was founded on August 7, 1989 under the name Zagal (Zagreb Airlines). Zagal operated flights using Cessna 402 C aircraft in its fleet. After the elections in Croatia on July 23, 1990, Zagal was renamed Croatia Airlines. In 1991, Croatia Airlines leased an aircraft from Adria Airways...

Based at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, Czech Airlines, the national airline of the Czech Republic, was founded as Czechoslovak State Airlines on October 6, 1923, with 17 A-14s from the state. Czech Airlines made its first flight by transporting airmail from Prague to Bratislava on October 29, 1923 on an Aero A-14 (Brandenburg) biplane with registration number L-BARC. In 1929, Czech Airways...

Delta Airlines was founded on May 30, 1924 under the name Huff Daland Dusters, which sprayed pesticides in the cotton fields of the US South. On September 13, 1928, Huff Daland Dusters was renamed Delta Air Service and operated its first passenger flight from Dallas to Jackson on June 17, 1929. In 1987, Delta Airlines entered the top five largest airlines in the world. In 1991, the airline...

The Egyptian airline EgyptAir was established on May 7, 1932. EgyptAir made its first commercial flight in August 1933 with a Spartan Cruiser between Cairo and Alexandria. EgyptAir began to develop rapidly and already in 1935 replenished its fleet with 12 De Havilland aircraft. In 1946, the EgyptAir fleet was replenished with 10 Beechcraft aircraft, and a few years ...

Based in Tel Aviv Airport, the Israeli airline El Al was founded in 1948 as Israel National Airlines. El Al's first flight was in September 1948, during which an El Al aircraft carried Israel's first president from Geneva to the Tel Nof military base. In 1950-1956, El Al aircraft were actively used in operations "Magic Carpet" and "Ezra and Nehemiah", in re...

Ellinair is a Greek airline based at Thessaloniki International Airport. The headquarters of the airline is located in Thessaloniki. The airline was established in February 2013. The main activity of Ellinair is the implementation of seasonal charter flights from the Greek resorts of Thessaloniki and Kerkyra to the cities of Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Italy. Since June 15, 2015, Ellinair has been operating regular domestic flights to popular Greek destinations...

Based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Emirates Airlines is a wholly state-owned company. By leasing two airliners (a Boeing 737 and an Airbus 300 B4), Emirates Airlines began operating commercial flights on October 25, 1985. Three years later, Emirates Airlines reached the level of making a stable profit and began to rapidly develop both the route network, i...

The flag carrier of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines was founded on December 21, 1945 under the name Ethiopian Air Lines. Ethiopian Air Lines performed its first flight on April 8, 1946 (on the route Addis Ababa - Cairo on a former American military aircraft Douglas C-47 Skytrain). With a fleet of five Douglas C-47 Skytrains, Ethiopian Air Lines is starting a weekly re...

Based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the national airline Etihad Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. Established in July 2003, Etihad Airways operated its first demonstration flight to Al Ain on November 5, 2003, and began scheduled flights to Beirut on November 12. One year after founding, Etihad Airways buys five...

The Chinese private airline EVA Air was founded in March 1989. The history of EVA Air is somewhat different from the typical commercial airline development scenario. As a subsidiary of the transport conglomerate Evergreen Group, EVA Air was originally created to carry both passengers and cargo. Immediately after its founding, the airline did not buy used aircraft and did not take ...

State-controlled, Finnish airline Finnair is the heir of Aero O/Y, one of the oldest airlines in Europe (Aero O/Y was incorporated on September 12, 1923). In 1946, Aero O/Y was bought out by the Finnish government and given its current name, Finnair. There is one interesting fact in the history of Finnair. In 1983, the airspace of the USSR was...

Based at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia. Established under the name Garuda Indonesian Airways, the airline, with an air fleet of Douglas DC-3 Dakota and PBY Catalina aircraft, began operating commercial flights as early as 1949 (the flight from Calcutta to Rangoon was operated on January 26, 1949). In the 60s of the last century, Garuda Indonesia...

Germania was founded in 1986 as Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH and headquartered in Cologne. Germania inherited the aircraft operating license from S.A.T. The first aircraft (Boeing 737-300) with the brand name "Germania" was put into operation by Germania in 1987 and in ten years the number of Boeing 737-300s increased to 13 units. In 1991, Germania began operating...

The German airline Germanwings was founded on October 27, 2002 (100% of Germanwings is owned by Deutsche Lufthansa). Germanwings is positioned as a low-cost carrier and successfully operates both domestic and international flights to more than 100 destinations (including flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg). As of the end of 2013, having withdrawn Airbus A...

Based at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, Globus Airlines was established in March 2008. Globus Airlines, a member of the S7 Group of Companies, operates under the S7 Airlines brand. Globus Airlines carries out regular flights within Russia, as well as to the CIS countries and Europe. The air fleet of Globus Airlines consists of 13 Boeing 737 aircraft of various modifications. Since 2011, the airline has been included in the register of I...

Hainan Airlines (Hainan Airlines Co Ltd) is China's largest private carrier. Established in January 1993, Hainan Airlines (originally called Hainan Province Airlines) operated its first flight in the same year. In 1997, Hainan Province Airlines was renamed Hainan Airlines. Hainan Airlines aircraft operate regular domestic and international flights, as well as...

Heli Air Monaco is a helicopter airline based in Monaco. Established in 1976 with the support of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Heli Air Monaco has carried 747 passengers this year in its single ENSTROM F28 helicopter. Throughout its history, Heli Air Monaco has constantly replenished its helicopter fleet...

The Russian charter airline I Fly (I FLY) received the "Air Operator Certificate" on November 24, 2009. The main activity of the airline I Fly (I FLY) is the transportation of tourists to popular holiday destinations. One of the main directions of the airline I Fly (I FLY) are flights operated from Vnukovo Airport to: Antalya Airport (Turkey); Hurghada Airport (Egypt); Suvarnabhumi Airport (Thailand). For flights, airline...

Iberia is the largest airline in Spain. Iberia was founded on June 28, 1927. Iberia made its first flight on December 28, 1927. Today, Iberia is one of the five largest airlines in Europe. With the merger of Iberia, British Airways and Vueling to form the International Airlines Group, Iberia becomes part of the largest...

Icelandair is the national carrier of Iceland. The airline was created in 1937 under the name Flugflag Akureyrar (then it was based in the city of Akureyri). In 1940, the airline was moved to Reykjavik and renamed Flugfelag Islands. In 1973, it merged with Loftleioir to form Flugleioir. And only a few more years later it received its current name - Icelandair. Basic air...

JSC IrAero Airlines is a Russian airline based at the international airport of the city of Irkutsk. It performs regular, charter and cargo transportation in Russia, neighboring countries and China. JSC IrAero Airlines was established in 1999. Since 2006, IrAero has been carrying out passenger transportation and is currently the largest carrier in the region. IrAero's aircraft fleet consists of CRJ-100/200 aircraft (pr...

The Israeli airline Israir Airlines has been operating since 1996. Basically, Israir Airlines specializes in domestic scheduled passenger transportation. In addition, Israir Airlines performs regular, charter international flights and VIP transportation, as well as provides air taxi services. The base airport of Israir Airlines is Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion International Airport, and an additional ...

Japan Airlines (JAL) was founded in 1951. At the moment, Japan Airlines is one of the largest airlines in Japan engaged in passenger and cargo transportation. On April 1, 2011, Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd. changed its name to Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.. The Japan Airlines fleet has more than 300 modern airliners (mainly Boeing 747s). Over 8.5...

JAT Airways is the state-owned airline of Serbia based in Belgrade, Nikola Tesla Airport. The airline was founded in 1927 under the name Aeroput, and in 1947 it was renamed Jugoslovenski Aerotransport. In the 1980s it was one of the largest airlines in Europe. Today, JAT operates flights to cities in Europe and maintains partnerships with several airlines, including Lufthansa. JAT Airways performs...

The private airline Karthago Airlines was founded in 2001. Despite the fact that the main base of Karthago Airlines is located at Djerba-Zarzis Airport, the bulk of Karthago Airlines' flights are operated from Tunis-Carthage International Airport. Karthago Airlines specializes in charter flights between Tunisia and Europe (Copenhagen and Stockholm). Ac...

Kenya Airways was founded as a state-owned enterprise from the liquidated East African Airways in January 1977. In 1986, the privatization process for Kenya Airways began. In 1997, Kenya Airways takes delivery of its first of four Boeing 737-300s for domestic and regional flights and launches the Msafir frequent flyer loyalty program, which is merged with the program.

The KLM airline was founded on September 12, 1919 by military pilot Albert Plezman and has retained its name since then - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Royal Netherlands Airlines) and the motto: "The ocean of air unites people." Despite its age, KLM has one of the newest and most modern fleets. It consists of 120 airliners of various brands: Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 737-700, Boeing ...

South Korean airline Korean Air was founded on March 1, 1969. Seoul-Kimpo International Seoul International Airport is the base airport for Korean Air. In 2007, Korean Air was awarded the prestigious World Airline Awards as Best Economy Airline. The fleet of Korean Air in September 2013 consisted of 147 aircraft (121 airliners for passenger transportation and 26 airliners for...

LAN Airlines was created under the name Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica by the Chilean government to operate passenger, cargo and mail air services in 1929. In 1932, Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica was changed to Línea Aérea Nacional de Chile (LAN Chile). 60 years after the founding of the airline, the government of Chile sells 51% of the shares of the airline to local investors and Sc...

Lauda Air is an airline based in Vienna, Austria. Operates scheduled, charter and weekend flights to Europe, North Africa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Lauda Air was founded in 1979 by former Formula One champion Niki Lauda and began operating in 1985, initially operating charter and air taxi services. 1989 Lauda Air launched the first long-haul flights...

LOT Polish Airlines is the national airline of Poland. 62.4% of its shares are owned by the Polish government, and the remaining 37.6% by SAir Group. The representative office of the airline is located in Warsaw, as well as its base airport - Warsaw-Okecie. The LOT Polish airline began operations in 1929. But then the Department of Civil Aviation nationalized all private airlines and merged them into one state - Linje Lot ...

One of the oldest airlines in Europe, Lufthansa was registered on January 6, 1926. But it really turned around and became one of the largest air carriers only in the 60s, when it was the first in Europe to start flying on the then most modern Boeing-707. Then the fleet of Lufthansa expanded and it was replenished with new Boeing 727, 737, 747 and economical Airbus A300. To date, the Lufthansa fleet includes...

Malaysia's national state-owned airline, Malaysia Airlines, was founded on October 12, 1937 under the name Malayan Airways Limited. As the national airline, Malayan Airways Limited made its first commercial flight on April 2, 1947. Malaysia Airlines operates scheduled flights to 85 destinations on six continents. The main transit hub for Malaysia Airlines is the International...

The private Italian airline Meridiana was founded to promote tourism in Sardinia by Prince Karim on March 29, 1963 under the name Alisarda. In 1964, Alisarda began operating flights from Olbia Airport on eight local Beechcraft C-45 aircraft and managed to carry 186 passengers in its first year of operation. After acquiring two 26-seater Nord 262s in 1966, Alisarda begins its...

The Metrojet airline appeared on May 1, 2012, as a result of the renaming of the KOLAVIA airline (founded on May 17, 1993), which was engaged in scheduled and charter air transportation. In June 2013, the Metrojet airline, based at Domodedovo Airport, became part of the international travel holding TH&C, which marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of the company. In 2013, Metrojet operated flights from Moscow to St. P...

MIAT Mongolian Airlines is the national airline of Mongolia, with a base airport in Ulaanbaatar "Chinggis Khaan International Airport". The history of MIAT Mongolian Airlines is inextricably linked with the history of the Mongolian Air Force, which begins with a gift in the form of a Junkers Y-13, which the USSR presented to Mongolia on May 25, 1925. More or less regular air transportation of passengers within the country, MIAT Mongolian Airlines began in...

The national flag carrier of Lebanon, Middle East Airlines (MEA) is based at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport. Middle East Airlines was formed on May 31, 1945 with the support of BOAC. Middle East Airlines began operations on January 1, 1946, flying from Beirut to Nicosia. Using the airline's three aircraft...

The national airline of the Republic of Montenegro "Montenegro Airlines" was established in September (registration October 24), 1994. The difficult situation in the country did not allow Montenegro Airlines to purchase its first aircraft (a used Fokker 28Mk 4000 called Lovcen) until the autumn of 1996. The airline "Montenegro Airlines" performed its first flight on May 7, 1997 (an international flight to Bari). In July 1998, ...

Niki is Austria's first low-cost airline. The history of Niki begins with the purchase in November 2003 of the German airline Aero Lloyd put up for auction (together with two Airbus 320 and one Airbus 321 aircraft) and the founding of NIKI Luftfahrt GmbH. The main goal of NIKI Luftfahrt GmbH, in addition to organizing charter flights, is to create a new low-cost airline. The airline Ni...

The Russian airline NordStar was established on December 17, 2008 and is a trademark owned by OJSC Taimyr Airlines. NordStar operated its first flight on June 17, 2009 (flight Moscow - Norilsk). At the initial stage of its activity, NordStar Airlines focused on air transportation between Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow. By 2013, the route network of NordStar Airlines has increased significantly...

Nordwind Airlines (Northern Wind LLC) is one of the most dynamically developing airlines in Russia. Established in May 2008, Nordwind Airlines, with only three aircraft, begins charter flights to six resort destinations. In 2013, Nordwind Airlines' route network already included 97 destinations in 27 countries, while Nordwind Airlines plans for 2013-2014 to...

The Norwegian airline Norwegian (Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA) was founded in 1993. From its inception until 2012, Norwegian Airlines, together with Braathens S.A.F.E. with the help of Fokker F-50 aircraft, she was engaged in air transportation on the west coast of Norway. After the purchase of Braathens S.A.F.E. operated by SAS in 2002, Norwegian commenced scheduled domestic flights with Boei...

Based at Tunis-Carthage International Airport, Nouvelair Tunisia, a private airline, traces its history back to the founding of Air Liberte Tunisie. Established on 6 October 1989 as a subsidiary of the French airline Air Liberte, Air Liberte Tunisie began operating its flights with two leased MD83 aircraft. After Nouvelair Tunisia becomes the majority shareholder of...

The Greek airline Olympic Air is the successor of the national airline Olympic Airways, formed on April 6, 1957. Airlines Olympic Airways was renamed Olympic Air in 2003 and operated by air until September 29, 2009. The new airline Olympic Air, which inherited the logo, property and part of the route network of the former company, performed its first flight on October 1, 2009. Currently based...

Pakistan's national airline, Pakistan International Airlines, has a rather unusual history. was founded on October 23, 1946 (before the partition of British India in 1947) in Calcutta under the name Orient Airways. Having received four Douglas DC-3 aircraft on June 4, 1947, Orient Airways began operating flights on the Calcutta-Sitwe-Yangon route. Since August 14, 1947 (Independence Day of Pakistan), Orient Air...

Pegas Fly (legal name Ikar Airlines LLC) is a Russian airline based at Emelyanovo Airport in Krasnoyarsk and providing regular mainline passenger transportation. The airline has a Khabarovsk branch. The airline was founded in 1992 in Magadan. In 2013, the airline was purchased from previous owners and transferred to Krasnoyarsk On April 16, 2013, a permit was obtained to perform international...

The budget airline Pegasus Airlines is the only private airline in Turkey operating flights to domestic and international destinations from Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Pegasus Airlines, a low-cost airline, was founded on December 1, 1989 to carry out tourist and charter flights. Pegasus Airlines made its first flight on April 15, 1990. In 1994, the owner of all shares of Pega...

The Australian airline Qantas is one of the oldest airlines in the world (second only to KLM) surviving to this day. The history of Qantas begins with the formation of Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited and its decision on 19 August 1920 to purchase two Avro 504K aircraft at Sydney Airfield. The formal registration of the Qantas airline took place on November 16, 1920 at the Gresham Hotel in Brisbane. Western Quest...

The national carrier of Qatar, Qatar Airways has been one of the fastest growing airlines in the world since 1997. Thanks to a group of companies included in the Qatar Airways Group (Qatar Duty Free, Al Maha Services, Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Qatar Airways Cargo, Qatar Aviation Services, The Qatar Distribution Company, Internal Media Services, Doha International Airport and Qatar Executive), Qatar Airways V...

Based at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport, Red Wings Airlines was founded in 1999 under the name "Airlines 400". In 2007, Airlines 400 was renamed Red Wings Airlines, and since 2008 has become a full member of the Russian Association of Air Transport Operators. Red Wings Airlines launches year-round charter flights to top destinations...

Royal Flight - ROYAL FLIGHT Airlines JSC is a Russian charter airline operating charter passenger flights. Based at Sheremetyevo Airport. The headquarters is located in Moscow. In 2014, the airline switched to international passenger transportation activities under the Royal Flight brand. On March 8, 2014, the first flight on the route Moscow - Antalya was performed from Domodedovo Airport. Since May 25, 2015, Roy...

Jordan's national airline, Royal Jordanian, originally had the name Alia. Alia was founded on December 9, 1963, and began operations a week later. With three aircraft at its disposal, Alia began operating flights to four destinations, linking Amman, Kuwait, Beirut and Cairo. Gradually, Alia increased its air fleet and route map. Its first regular flight to Europe, the airline...

Based at Jeddah International Airport, Saudia is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia. The history of the Saudia airline began with the fact that after the opening of navigation through the Suez Canal on February 14, 1945, Roosevelt (President of the United States) presented King Aziz with a Douglas DC-3 Dakota (HZ-AAX) aircraft. In the same year, the aircraft began to be used for air transportation of goods and passengers between the cities of Riyadh, ...

The multinational airline Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) was founded on August 1, 1946 as a result of a partnership of three leading airlines (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) with the aim of organizing international flights in Scandinavia. The airline Scandinavian Airlines System performs regular passenger and cargo transportation. In 1954 Scandinavian Airlines System became the first airline...

The Chinese regional airline Shenzhen Airlines was founded (the main shareholders of Air China and Shenzhen International Total Logistics Co, Ltd) in November 1992 with the aim of carrying passengers, cargo and air mail. Shenzhen Airlines began operating on September 17, 1993. From the very beginning of its activity, Shenzhen Airlines has been distinguished by high dynamics of development and quality of services...

Singapore Airlines was founded in 1972 by splitting the older Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (founded on May 1, 1947 as Malayan Airways Limited) into two new airlines: Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airline System. Thanks to the concentration of efforts, by 1989, Singapore Airlines had at its disposal not only a developed ground infrastructure and an air fleet consisting of ...

Based at Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International Airport, South African Airways (SAA) was founded on February 1, 1934, after the South African government gained control of the assets and liabilities of Union Airways (from which South African Airways was created which came under the control of the South African Railways and Ports Administration). On November 1, 1934, having received its first aircraft...

Most of the aircraft flying in Russia are no older than their analogues used abroad. However, 17.7% of the aircraft fleet are old aircraft, many of which have exhausted their resources 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

It became the largest disaster in the history of Russian aviation. The day after the tragedy of the Kogalymavia (Metrojet) Airbus 321, which killed 224 people, the Russian investigation opened two criminal cases under the articles “providing services that do not meet safety requirements” and “violating flight safety rules or training for them” . The searches took place at the carrier's office, Domodedovo, Samara airport, where the aircraft was refueled. State Duma deputies immediately called for a ban on the operation of aircraft older than 15 years (Airbus Kogalymavia was 18 years old) and the deprivation of the license 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 by airlines and industry experts who argued that an aircraft is not a machine and 20 years of operation is not such a long time for it.

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

How we thought

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 was taken as a basis. We excluded from the complete list small aircraft (private jets), local airlines (operating range less than 1000 km, mainly An-2), helicopters, business jets, as well as all aircraft not used for passenger transportation - 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 air fleet of the Air Force, the Ministry of Emergencies and the special squad for the transportation of top officials (SLO Rossiya), as well as aircraft owned by 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 correctness of the data we collected. All responses were included in the analysis results.

Our statistics also included aircraft of the second largest Russian airline, Transaero. was adopted 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 lessors: Aeroflot, which got part of the airline's routes, may receive several dozen cars, the rest will be sold on the market or written off. Taking into account the entire fleet of Transaero in the sample (according to open data as of October, this is 122 aircraft), we were guided by the fact that most of it can be transferred 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 are chosen

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 sides is the medium-haul Boeing 737 family, whose flights 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 include vehicles with a flight range of more than 2.5 thousand km into this category. Long-haul vehicles in Russia are those with a flight range of more than 8,000 km.

Not so long ago, Airbus became the leader among aircraft flying on medium-haul routes in Russia. The Big Four companies — Aeroflot, S7, UTair, Transaero — split their preferences in 2013, explains Andrey 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 flights, and UTair has significantly reduced its fleet.

Two competing aircraft manufacturers provide most of the world's aircraft fleets. According to the international organization Center for Aviation (CAPA, Australia) for April 2013, 39.7% of all ships operated in the world are Boeing aircraft and 28.7% are Airbus. Russia is no exception. 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 the An, Tu and Yak, most of which flew back in the USSR. “But in the volume of passenger traffic, the share of these vehicles is less than 5%,” adds Alexander Fridlyand, professor at the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation.

Sukhoi Superjet is the leader in terms of number among modern Russian models: domestic airlines have 39 such boards. RBC),” says Friedland. According to him, for local and regional routes it is large, and on main routes with good passenger traffic it is inferior to economical cars with 150-200 seats. “His niche is the main, but weak in terms of flows directions,” the interlocutor believes.

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

Of the Soviet aircraft, the An-24 airline fleet has the most - 67 aircraft. A turboprop passenger aircraft for short and medium haul lines was developed by the Antonov Design Bureau (KB) in the late 1950s. The maximum capacity is up to 52 passengers. It is operated mainly by Russian regional companies (RBC considers those who do not make long-haul flights, flights through the capital's air hub and are not based in Moscow and St. Petersburg). “An-24 is the only aircraft in the world of this class that lands on the ground, on packed snow or on ice,” reminds Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR, President of the Air Transport Infrastructure Development Fund. “It flew throughout the entire airspace of the USSR and is practically indispensable 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. So far, it is impossible to replace it en masse with foreign models. First, foreign-made aircraft that could land at the airfields in these regions can accommodate fewer passengers, Kramarenko explains. In addition, the technical documentation for them is in English, which is not known to all pilots and personnel of the An-24. However, during 2012-2013, Yakutia leased five Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft with a capacity of 70 to 80 seats. In addition to Bombardier, Canadian De Havilland Canada 6 Twin Otters fly in the Aeroflot subsidiary of the Far Eastern airline Aurora. Most likely, in the coming years, all An-24s will be replaced by foreign aircraft, "because they run out of their resources and it will become extremely difficult and expensive to maintain their airworthiness," predicts Dmitry Mirgorodsky, a partner at the consulting company Concuros, former vice president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. There are no replacements for their domestic counterparts.

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 the replacement of parts, some will no longer rise into the air. Cars are included in the parks of Gazpromavia, Grozny Avia, Izhavia, Saratov Airlines. The last company started flying Brazilian Embraer 190s two years ago.

How old are airplanes in Russia

As the study showed, on average in Russia, the age of foreign models is less than their resource, while our aircraft are often older. According to Andrey Sharypov, head of the department for certification of civil aviation ships 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 resource 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. Modifications Airbus 320 - 7.5 years, A319 - 11.9 years (see infographic). These figures are not much different from the global average. The Dutch airline KLM, according to planespotters.net, Boeing New Generation on average fly at the age of 9.3 years. The American low-cost airline Southwest Airlines, according to USA Today and airfleets.net, is 9.7 years old. Boeing 737 Classic cars (modifications 300, 400 and 500) of this airline are on average over 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 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 Yak-42 aircraft still in operation is 24.7 years.

Soviet aircraft and modern Russian ones (with the exception of the Sukhoi Superjet), unlike foreign ones, have problems with details. Mass production of such machines has been stopped, so you have to order components by the piece, which costs many times more, says Sergey Koval, deputy head of the department for monitoring and verifying the authenticity of the Civil Aviation Research Institute. As a result, parts with forged documents are sometimes put on Soviet cars. According to Koval, up to 8% of illegal parts are now on the market, and from 2001 to 2015, 50 serious incidents occurred due to problems with parts (incidents with planes and helicopters are taken into account).

What happened to the Soviet design bureaus

The Saratov Aviation Plant, which produced the Yak aircraft, is bankrupt and completely liquidated. The design bureaus that developed the Soviet planes - Tupolev Design Bureau and Yakovlev Design Bureau (now part of the United Aircraft Corporation) - continue to exist mainly by escorting the remaining ships in operation, Koval says. 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 commander of a ship, 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,” Smirnov explains. The main thing is whether the aircraft underwent maintenance and repairs on time throughout its life. In addition, every detail of the aircraft has its own resources. By the time, Smirnov says, "the plane is 17 years old, these parts can be replaced several times."

The study showed that 58.7% of the aircraft in the Russian fleet had only one or two operators. And more than ten air carriers that have replaced each other - in the luggage only 3% of the boards. And in many cases, two of the same companies used the aircraft in turn. So, for example, the Izhavia aircraft had a Yak-42: according to airfleets.net, if you take into account the alternation of the same carriers, it changed 20 operators in 28 and a half years. According to Smirnov, professionals are distrustful of an aircraft that previously flew "in countries with high humidity, such as Africa." However, both 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 resource, according to a study by the leasing company Avalon (offices in the US, 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 sides, the oldest fleet - 41.2 years - belongs to the Turukhan company, which is part of the UTair group. It mainly operates charter flights, including for mining companies. But Turukhan also has regular flights, so its aircraft were included in our study.

In total, there are 16 companies in Russia that operate aircraft older than 25 years for regular and charter flights (see table).

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

On April 1, 2001, the standards 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 aircraft of that time did not fall under the new criteria: 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 change their old noisy cars to new imported ones.

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

There is also a significant difference between the average age of aircraft from different companies abroad. According to the 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 old aircraft, Mirgorodsky emphasizes. For example, buying a new Boeing 737-800 will cost about $48-55 million. The same ten-year-old model will already cost $16-18 million, says Alexander Kochetkov, head of the Gold "nsky Leasing leasing company. But old aircraft also require maintenance costs. Not all companies can afford to pay such amounts at a time - they have to lease cars.In Russia, according to Ilyushin Finance Co., at least 80% of aircraft in operation are leased.

This is exactly what the largest market player, Aeroflot, is doing, which is going 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 now, General Director Vitaly Savelyev repeatedly said in his interviews. “It is difficult to compete on the world market on an old aircraft,” Mirgorodsky explains the strategy. Aeroflot also gives older models to its subsidiaries - the airlines Aurora, Orenburg Airlines, Donavia, Rossiya.

But many companies do not even have enough money to lease new aircraft. Transaero, for example, which dreamed of ousting a state competitor, due to expensive debt financing, as it itself admitted in its financial statements, built up its fleet with cheap foreign and old cars, Vedomosti wrote. After the devaluation of the ruble at the end of last year, leasing for Russian companies has risen in price 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.