For many, air travel has become an integral part of everyday life. Business trips to different parts of the country and abroad are always associated with the purchase of air tickets, during which everyone tries not only to find a favorable price offer, but also to fly with a reliable air carrier.

Especially for you, we have compiled a list of Russian airlines in 2020, distributing them in the rating according to the degree of reliability and accident-free operation in accordance with the research of the German agency Jacdec, the European organization EASA and the international organizations IOSA and ICAO.

When calculating the aviation security index, data on accidents over the past 30 years are taken into account, as well as passenger traffic, the number of victims and lost aircraft.

When compiling the list, we also took into account the level of service on board and the average age of the liners of Russian airlines. The ranking statistics for the number of liners and their average age were compiled as of March 2016.

Rating of Russian airlines in terms of reliability and safety of flights 2020

1. Aeroflot
2. Russia
3. Ural Airlines
4. UTair
5. Orenburg airlines
6. Red wings

Aeroflot

The first place in the rating by all indicators is rightfully taken by the largest Russian air carrier Aeroflot, which has the largest fleet in Europe. This is the only domestic company that appears in the prestigious Jacdec rating, which means that it is considered more reliable by foreign experts than others in Russia. In addition, Aeroflot has repeatedly received the honorary title of the best airline in Eastern Europe.

The company's advantages are various aircraft models for every taste, well-trained personnel, well-thought-out bonus programs and its own Situation Center, created to promptly resolve problem situations. Aeroflot includes Rossiya, Transaero and Pobeda airlines.

• Founded in 1923.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 170 units.
• Average age of airliners: 4.5 years.

Before the rebranding, the company was named Siberia. If we consider reliability, then S7 is one of the three recognized leaders in this indicator. In 2015, this well-known air carrier was awarded the National Geographic award as the best Russian airline, and is ranked 95th in the world ranking of S7.

A significant advantage of the company is a profitable bonus program, thanks to which regular passengers can accumulate bonuses and subsequently spend them on paying part of the ticket price. A special feature of S7 is convenient direct flights to Asia.

• The year of foundation is 1957.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 58 units.
• Average age of airliners: 10 years.

In 2015, Rossiya Airlines entered the TOP-10 air carriers of our country in terms of flight safety. In 2014, Rossiya was recognized as the best in the field of regional routes, and in 2014 it became the fifth in the list of the largest domestic airlines. In terms of punctuality, Rossiya entered the rating of top European companies.

The main advantage of the Rossiya company is its democratic pricing policy and impeccable cleanliness on board. Passengers are only dissatisfied with airliners, which in most cases are over 10 years old.

• The year of foundation is 1992.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 23 units.
• Average aircraft age: 13.6 years.

Ural Airlines

The planes of one of the largest domestic air transportation companies in 2014 were recognized as the most reliable, and the air carrier itself received three awards at once, including as the best one on domestic routes.

If we consider the volume of passenger traffic in Russia, Ural Airlines occupies an honorable third place. A distinctive feature of the airline is the presence of a special gym for pilots, which has analogues only abroad.

• The year of foundation is 1993.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 35 units.
• Average aircraft age: 12.7 years.

This company is in the TOP-5 in Russia in terms of passenger traffic. In 2014, UTair received the prestigious award as the best passenger carrier on regional routes.

• The year of foundation is 1991.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 66 units.
• Average age of airliners: 14.5 years.

The main sphere of presence of this air carrier is the Tyumen Region and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. The fact that the aircraft used by the company are recognized as safe and reliable is reflected in the certificate of the International Air Transport Association, which Yamal received in 2013. A year later, the carrier was named the best airline in the field of passenger transportation and the best helicopter operator.

The advantages of the Yamal company are flights to remote settlements and regular expansion of the route network. Lack of punctuality of pilots causes discontent among passengers.

• Foundation year - 1997.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 24 units.
• Average aircraft age: 14.1 years.

Orenburg airlines

This air carrier is a subsidiary of the Russian Aeroflot. In 2013, Orenburg Airlines received national recognition by being awarded the Airline of the Year award according to passengers.

• The year of foundation is 1992.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 19 units.
• Average age of airliners: 11 years.

The only aviation company in the Russian Federation that operates domestic Tu-204 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliners.

• Foundation year - 1999.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 13 units.
• Average age of airliners: 6.6 years.

So, now you know the best Russian airlines in 2020 that have made it to our list due to the excellent level of service, an impressive volume of passenger air traffic, a large number of safe, technically sound modern aircraft, punctuality and favorable price offers. When looking for a reliable air carrier, try to choose from these companies to be confident in the safety and comfort of your upcoming flight.

Most of the aircraft flying in Russia are no older than their counterparts used abroad. However, 17.7% of the fleet is old cars, many of which have exhausted their resource 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 "provision of services that do not meet safety requirements" and "violation of flight safety rules or preparation for them." ... Searches took place at the carrier's office, Domodedovo, Samara airport, where the board was refueled. State Duma deputies immediately called for a ban on the operation of aircraft over 15 years old (Airbus "Kogalymavia" was 18 years old) and the revocation 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 he leads to plane crashes. The deputies put forward similar initiatives after the crash of the 23-year-old Boeing 737 in Kazan on October 17, 2013. Then, as now, the public ignored the statements of airlines and industry experts who argued that an airplane was not a machine and that 20 years of operation was not such a long time for it.

Both aircraft - Boeing in Kazan and Airbus over Sinai - were serviceable according to the latest data. The Kazan catastrophe, as decided by the commission of inquiry, is Egyptian - three weeks later it was recognized as a terrorist attack. The suspicions that the aircraft flying in Russia were in poor condition, however, did not disappear. RBC analyzed the fleet of Russian companies operating regular and charter passenger flights, and found out to what extent the suspicions of its wear and tear are justified.

As we thought

It was based on the list of valid airworthiness certificates of the Federal Air Transport Agency for October 22, 2015 (that is, aircraft that are allowed to fly in Russia), data from the official websites of carriers and Internet resources airfleets.com, russianplanes.net and flightradar24.com. We have excluded from the full list small aircraft (private jets), local airlines (practical 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 for the transportation of passengers for commercial purposes: for example, the aircraft fleet of the Air Force, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and a special detachment for the transportation of top officials (SLO "Russia"), as well as aircraft belonging to aircraft manufacturing plants. The lists we received with detailed information about each aircraft were sent to all operating airlines with a request to confirm the correctness of the data we collected. All answers were taken into account in the results of the analysis.

Our statistics also include aircraft of the second largest Russian airline, Transaero. was adopted on October 1, and on October 26, the company lost the operator's certificate and ceased operations. The Transaero fleet is in the process of being returned to lessors: several dozen cars can be received by Aeroflot, which has got part of the airline's routes, the rest will be sold on the market or written off. Considering the entire Transaero fleet in the sample (according to open data as of October, these are 122 aircraft), we were guided by the fact that most of it could 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 largest carrier after Aeroflot in terms of the number of aircraft (one of them is in the photo), is not yet clear (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 aircraft is the family of medium-haul Boeing 737s, the flights of which were recently requested 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 refer to this category as vehicles with a flight range of more than 2.5 thousand km. Long-haul vehicles in Russia are considered to be vehicles with a flight range of more than 8 thousand 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 - divided their preferences in two in 2013, explains Andrey Kramarenko, a researcher at the Institute for Transport Economics and Transport Policy at the Higher School of Economics. The first two were chosen by Airbus, the latter by Boeing. Now Transaero has stopped flights, and UTair has significantly reduced its fleet.

The two rival aircraft manufacturers provide the majority 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. The aircraft of the two companies occupy 61.7% of the Russian fleet, 14.3% - other foreign aircraft (Embraer, Bombardier, De Havilland Canada, Let, ATR).

Domestic aircraft account for only 24% of the total fleet of Russian carriers. Moreover, for modern samples - An-148, Tu-204, Tu-214 and Sukhoi Superjet - only 6.3%. The remaining 17.7% are old modifications of An, Tu and Yak, most of which were flown back in the USSR. “But in the volume of passenger traffic, the share of these machines is less than 5%,” adds Alexander Fridlyand, professor at the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation.

Sukhoi Superjet is in the lead in terms of quantity among modern Russian models: domestic airlines have 39 such aircraft. “The Sukhoi Superjet has a niche, but it is very narrow due to its size (capacity - up to 100 seats. - RBK) ”, - says Fridlyand. According to him, it is large for local and regional routes, and on mainline routes with good passenger traffic it is inferior to economical cars for 150-200 seats. “Its niche is mainline, but weak in terms of flows,” 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)

Most of the Soviet aircraft in the fleet of An-24 airlines - 67 aircraft. The turboprop passenger aircraft for short and medium-haul lines was developed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the late 1950s. The maximum capacity is up to 52 passengers. It is operated mainly by Russian regional companies (RBC considers these to be those who do not make long-haul flights, flights through the capital's air hub and not based in Moscow and St. Petersburg). “An-24 is the only aircraft in the world of this class that sits on the ground, on packed snow or ice,” recalls the honored pilot of the USSR, President of the Air Transport Infrastructure Development Fund Oleg Smirnov. "He flew throughout the airspace of the USSR and in the current conditions in the Far North is practically irreplaceable."

Now the An-24 continues to be used by companies based in the north: Polar Airlines, Yakutia, Chukotavia. While it is impossible to replace it massively with foreign models. Firstly, the planes of foreign brands, which could land at the airfields of these regions, accommodate fewer passengers, explains Kramarenko. In addition, the technical documentation for them is in English, which not all pilots and personnel of the An-24 know. 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 Aeroflot's subsidiary of the Far Eastern airline Aurora. Most likely, in the coming years, all An-24s will be replaced by foreign aircraft, "since they will run out of service 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 not rise into the air. The cars are included in the parks "Gazpromavia", "Grozny Avia", "Izhavia", "Saratov Airlines". The latter company began flying the Brazilian Embraer 190 two years ago.

How old are planes in Russia

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

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

As for Airbus, the A320 fleet of German Germanwings is 23 years old. The American Delta, flying 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 An-24. On average, they are 42.1 years old. The average age of another Soviet Yak-42 still in operation is 24.7 years.

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

What happened to the Soviet design bureaus

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

The age of the aircraft, according to professionals, does not affect its technical condition and airworthiness. “As the commander of the ship, I don’t ask: will you give me an old plane or I’ll fly on a new one — that does not interest me at all,” Smirnov explains. The main thing is whether the aircraft has undergone maintenance and repairs on time throughout its life. In addition, every detail of the aircraft has its own resources. By the time, says Smirnov, "as the plane turns 17, 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. Moreover, in many cases, two of the same companies used the planes in turn. So, for example, the plane of Izhavia Airlines Yak-42: according to airfleets.net, if we take into account the alternating of the same carriers, in 28 and a half years it changed 20 operators. According to Smirnov, professionals are suspicious of an aircraft that had previously flown "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 is important for the technical condition of the aircraft, and not the previous operator, the expert believes.

As a rule, carriers refuse aircraft for economic reasons, and not because of the end of its life, according to a study of 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 in 20-23 years, says Kramarenko, a research fellow at the Higher School of Economics. The global performance, according to the Avalon study, is similar.

Age preferences of airlines

Russian airlines with the oldest fleet use Soviet aircraft. Among carriers with ten or more aircraft, the oldest fleet - 41.2 years - belongs to the Turukhan company, which is part of the UTair group. It mainly performs charter flights, including for mining companies. But Turukhan also has regular flights, so its planes were included in our study.

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

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

On April 1, 2001, the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) entered into force, establishing reduced noise levels of aircraft engines flying in Europe. Almost all Soviet and Russian aircraft of that time did not meet 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 replace their old noisy cars with new imported ones.

Low-cost airline Pobeda is the youngest Russian air carrier with the youngest fleet. Their Boeing averages just a year (Photo: TASS)

There is also a significant gap between the average age of aircraft of different companies abroad. According to a Bloomberg rating in January 2013, the American Delta has an average age of 15.8, 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 economically efficient for it: a new or older aircraft, Mirgorodsky emphasizes. For example, the purchase of a new Boeing 737-800 will cost about $ 48-55 million. The same ten-year model will already cost $ 16-18 million, says Alexander Kochetkov, head of the leasing company Gold nsky Leasing. But old aircraft also require maintenance costs. companies can afford to pay such sums at a time - they have to lease cars.In Russia, according to Ilyushin Finance Co., at least 80% of the 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 not only increased, but also refreshed its fleet for several years now, CEO Vitaly Savelyev has repeatedly said in his interviews. “It is difficult to compete on the world market on an old aircraft,” explains Mirgorodsky's strategy. Older models are also given by Aeroflot to its subsidiaries - the airlines Aurora, Orenburg Airlines, Donavia, and Russia.

But many companies do not even have enough money to lease new planes. "Transaero", for example, dreamed of pushing a state competitor, because of expensive debt financing, as it itself admitted in its financial statements, increased its fleet with cheap foreign and new machines, wrote "Vedomosti". After the devaluation of the ruble at the end of last year, leasing prices for Russian companies increased significantly even for old aircraft (lease payments are made in foreign currency. - RBK), adds Mirgorodsky. According to Kochetkov's estimates, leasing a new Boeing 737-800 costs an average of $ 4.2 million per year, and a ten-year lease costs about $ 2 million.

We present a list of the largest airlines that operate regular and charter flights in Russia and international transportation with their official websites and main airports. On the websites of airlines you can buy a ticket, get acquainted with current promotions and special offers.

Aeroflot

• Official site: aeroflot.ru

The largest and oldest Russian airline, one of the oldest in the world. Performs domestic and international translations from Russia all over the world. It has three subsidiary airlines: Aurora, Pobeda and Russia.

"Russia"

• Official website: rossiya-airlines.com
• Junction airport: Pulkovo (St. Petersburg)

S7 Airlines

• Official website: s7.ru
• Junction airport: Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk), Domodedovo (Moscow)

The former Siberia Airlines, founded in 1992, underwent a large-scale rebranding in 2006. It currently operates regular domestic and international flights. Owns a subsidiary airline "Globus".

UTair

• Official website: utair.ru
• Junction airport: Vnukovo (Moscow), Surgut (Surgut)

Ural Airlines

• Official website: uralairlines.ru
• Base and hub airports: Koltsovo (Yekaterinburg), Domodedovo (Moscow, Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk)

Carries out passenger and cargo transportation in Russia and abroad.

"Victory"

• Official website: pobeda.aero
• Junction airport: Vnukovo (Moscow)

Low-cost subsidiary airline Aeroflot.

Azur Air

• Official site: azurair.com

Russian airline specializing in charter flights to popular resort destinations in Europe and Asia.

"Nordwind Airlines"

• Official website: nordwindairlines.ru
• Junction airport: Sheremetyevo (Moscow)

A subsidiary airline of the tour operator "Pegas Tourist", which carries out both regular flights and charter transfers to popular destinations, including resort cities in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and Central America.

Vim-Avia (Vim Airlines)

• Official site: vim-avia.com
• Junction airport: Domodedovo (Moscow)

It operates regular domestic flights across Russia, including the South, Urals, Siberia and the Far East, as well as charter flights to resort destinations in Europe and Asia.

"Aurora"

• Official website: flyaurora.ru
• Airports: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk.

Subsidiary of Aeroflot. Carries out internal transfers within Russia (Siberia, the Far East, Sakhalin Oblast, Primorsky Krai), as well as international flights to China, Japan and South Korea.

"Pegas Fly" ("Icarus")

• Official site: pegasfly.com
• Junction airport: Yemelyanovo (Krasnoyarsk)

Performs part of the charter flights of the tour operator "Pegas Turistik" from Russian cities to popular resorts in Europe and Asia.

"NordStar"

• Official website: nordstar.ru
• Airports: Domodedovo (Moscow), Emelyanovo (Krasnoyarsk), Alykel (Norilsk)

It operates regular and charter flights from Krasnoyarsk and Norilsk to Russian cities and resorts both in Russia and southern Europe.

"Royal Flight"

• Official website: royalflight.ru
• Airports: Sheremetyevo (Moscow), Abakan.

Many Russians prefer to travel by air today. Of course, tickets for this type of transport are more expensive than, for example, for the same trains, but you can also get to your destination by air much faster. However, of course, people who fly, not least of all think about their safety. The list of Russian airlines today is quite wide, and most of them, fortunately, are considered reliable in this regard.

A bit of history

Many people remember that in the days of the USSR, only one company, Aeroflot, carried passengers by air. It was founded in 1921. Initially, it was given the name "Derulyuft". In 1923 the company was renamed Dobrolet. The name "Aeroflot" was given to the civil air fleet of the RSFSR in 1932.

New companies

Unfortunately, in the 90s of the last century, the only Russian airline ceased to exist, splitting up into several smaller ones. Today, the aircraft of the Aeroflot corporation are again surfing the airspace of Russia and other countries of the world. However, by now it is far from the only carrier in our country. includes both giants that can compete with Aeroflot and small charter firms.

Carrier safety selection criteria

Accidents do not happen often, but usually end in a big tragedy with many casualties. Therefore, the choice of the airline, of course, should be approached with all responsibility. Before purchasing a ticket for any flight, it is worth making sure that the carrier is able to ensure the safety of the flight. This can be done very simply.

Since 1999, by order of the Russian Federal Aviation Service, a program for monitoring the safety of civil traffic has been in place in our country. Within its framework, every vessel flying in the airspace of Russia, whether foreign or domestic, can be checked for compliance with safety standards at any airport in the country. Based on the inspections carried out, the safety rating of the shipping companies is compiled. After reviewing it, you can decide, among other things, whether it is worth using the services of a particular company.

The largest Russian carriers

What kind of giants does the list of Russian airlines include? The rating of safe carriers will be presented to the attention of the reader below. The list of the largest domestic airlines in terms of the number of passengers carried and size is as follows:

Aeroflot. This carrier, although it is no longer the only one, currently tops the list of Russian airlines with the largest fleet. The latter currently consists of 106 modern machines. this company belongs to the state.

S7-Airlines (Siberia). This company is currently the leader in domestic Russian transportation. This carrier has 42 aircraft in its fleet. The company operates 80 routes, with only 26 of them being foreign.

"Russia". This company is also owned by the state. Most of its flights by air are carried out to the countries of the former CIS and the Far East. However, the aircraft of the Rossiya company also fly to European countries. This carrier has a fleet of 30 aircraft.

Utair. This company also owns 30 cars. Its main feature is the presence of a helicopter fleet. This carrier occupies both 4th and 5th places in the rating.

This list can also be supplemented by the carrier OrenAir (Orenburg and Orsk). This company is mainly engaged in charter flights. Its fleet includes 29 aircraft.

Rating of the safest airlines in Russia

Below, in descending order, we present you a list of Russian airlines considered (according to the rating of the Federal Air Transport Agency in 2015) the safest:

Ural Airlines. Although this company was not included in the list of the 7 largest, today it tops the list of the safest. During the entire existence of this carrier, there have been only 3 incidents with aircraft. And they all did without casualties.

S7 Airlines. This carrier has been responsible for 3 major accidents since the opening. In 2001, a Tu-154 aircraft belonging to the Siberia company was shot down by Ukrainians over the Black Sea. In this case, 178 people died. Another accident occurred with a Tu-154 of the S7 Airlines brand (51 people). The next crash killed 125 passengers (A310). To date, this carrier is considered one of the most reliable in terms of security in Europe.

Aeroflot. This company has four accidents. The most famous one took place in 1994. The pilot put his 15-year-old son at the helm. Unknowingly, the teenager pressed one of their levers, as a result of which the autopilot was disabled. It was not possible to align the plane, and it went off in a dive. This accident killed 75 people.

The list of Russian airlines in terms of safety can, of course, be continued. In principle, the control over compliance with the standards by legal entities engaged in air transportation today is quite serious. However, the companies listed above are currently considered the best in terms of security.

The ranking of the companies with the oldest aircraft

The average age of the fleet in the Russian Federation in 2016 is 12 years. The list of Russian airlines with the oldest aircraft looks like this:

Kagalymavia - 17.1 years old.

"North Wind" - 14 years old.

"Nord-Avia" - 14.

Yamal - 13.7 years old.

Ural Airlines - 12.3 years.

Yuteyr - 11.7.

Orenburg Airlines - 10.8.

Siberia - 9.6.

Red Wings - 6.6.

Aeroflot - 4.4.

Are any companies banned from flying to Europe?

Some passengers would probably like to know if there are such Russian air carriers that are not allowed to fly to the EU countries. Indeed, in these states there are certain safety standards and specific requirements are imposed on the technical condition of aircraft. At the same time, "black lists" of companies that are prohibited from flying in European airspace are regularly drawn up.

At the beginning of the new millennium, some Russian carriers actually had to abandon flights to Europe. The list of banned Russian airlines included, among other things, such a giant as Ural Airlines (in part). Also, flights of old airplanes "Kuban Airlines", "Airlines 400" and some others were banned. However, these were not sanctions from the European Union. The ban came from Rostransnadzor and Rosaviatsia. At the moment, ships of all Russian companies can fly to Europe.

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

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

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

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

Safe airlines in Russia

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

The rating is compiled on the basis of checking the general condition of the liners, punctuality and compliance with documentary standards and international law. As for plane crashes, since 1993, the Urals have not had a single incident with human casualties.

"S7"

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

The company's largest plane crashes occurred in the early 2000s, with more than 300 fatalities in total. Since then, the level of safety of S7's transportation meets all international standards, and there have been no precedents, except for two emergency landings.

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

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

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

Interestingly, the basis of the company's fleet is made up of new mid-capacity aircraft of the ATR brand, which makes the carrier a kind of leader in short regional flights.

There have been plane crashes at UTair, but the last major incident happened in 2014 with an MI-8 cargo helicopter. Passenger planes fly without incident.

Safe airlines in the world

The rating of the safest air carriers in the world in 2019 was deservedly headed by the company "", registered in Hong Kong. She has been on the market since 1946, and over the past three decades, the only incident associated with her aircraft has been a hard landing of a passenger liner flying from Indonesia.

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

Despite the incidents of 2017, the carriers of the United Arab Emirates continue to occupy the second place in the ranking of the safest airlines in the world. And the best of the best is the company "". They renew their fleet every year, and also regularly improve the quality of passenger service - from economy class to first class.

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

"EVAAir"

The third place in the ranking of the safest airlines is occupied by another Chinese carrier - “ EVAAir". It began work in 1989, and over the years of its existence did not allow a single plane crash with fatalities. The only precedents were related to a hard landing in the United States.

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

"QatarAirways"

And the fourth place, according to the safety ratings of airlines of 2019, was firmly taken by Middle Eastern aircraft from the company "". The carrier is based in Doha and serves 160 destinations around the world. Since 1993, the company has had only two incidents, but both have done without fatalities.

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

Are low-cost airlines as dangerous as they say?

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

Tourists with extensive experience in flying low-cost airlines claim that rumors and speculation are nothing more than exaggerations. Yes, there are problems with low-cost airlines, but the key cause of disasters, as elsewhere, is the human factor. References to the supposedly old planes of our "Victory" and other cheap companies are falsification. Doubting participants in the discussions are sent to the official sites of the carrier.

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