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 the implementation of charter flights on aircraft of the Bombardier Learjet Family (transportation of 7-10 passengers over distances of 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 government decree Nº 26.099. The following year, the Inter-American Press Information Society recognized 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 scheduled flights from Buenos Aires to ...

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 operated its first Mexico-Acapulco flight on the Stinson SR on 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) by air ...

Low cost airline from United United Arab Emirates Air Arabia operated its first flight from Sharjah to Manama on October 28, 2003. Since, airline Air Arabia has begun to methodically increase the number of destinations this air carrier operates on. Air Arabia made a particularly tangible increase in the number of new destinations in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Quite an interesting fact is that in the open spaces of the former ...

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

Organized former pilot Pan American by 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 global change. Following the purchase of 82.5% of Air Berlin by Joachim Hunold, the company was renamed from Air Berlin Inc. at Air Berlin GmbH & Co. Luftverkehrs ...

Canadian airline Air Canada operated its maiden flight on September 1, 1937, when it carried two passengers and mail from Vancouver to Seattle on a Lockheed L-10A aircraft (though Air Canada was called Trans-Canada Air Lines at the time). Air Canada received its current name only in 1964. Since 1984, Air Canada has launched its Airplane Frequent Flyer Program ...

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 carrier for civil aviation and a member of the world's largest aviation alliance Star Alliance (28 airlines). Air China operates 284 passenger cars ...

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 Jose Hidalgo. In 1993 Air Europa began operating regular flights within Spain. In 1994, Air Europa starts regular Madrid - Barcelona flights and challenges Ibe ...

Air France originated from a merger agreement between five French airlines Air Union, Air Orient, Societe Generale de Transport Aerien (SGTA), CIDNA and Aeropostale signed on August 17, 1933. Air France made 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 Air France flight (AF-471) departed for 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 perform air transportation valid for 10 years. However, Air Malta was able to operate its first flight only a year later. Having leased 2 Boeing 720B airliners from Pakistan International Airlines, on April 1, 1974, Air Malta began ...

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

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

Based in 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 shares of Air Serbia become the property of the airline ...

Air Seychelles was founded in 1978 as a result of the renaming of the state airline of the republic. Seychelles(formed in 1977 by the government's purchase of several small air carrier companies operating between the islands of Mahe, Praslin and Frigate). Air Seychelles was originally positioned as an air carrier for domestic flights only. However, in ...

The history of airBaltic began with the joint venture agreement AIR BALTIC CORPORATION SIA signed on August 28, 1995. On October 1, 1995, the first aircraft of airBaltic SAAB 340 (a passenger turboprop aircraft capable of carrying from 30 to 36 people over distances of up to 1,730 km) landed at the Riga airport. 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 flagship airline, Alitalia. The carrier's hubs are Milan Malpensa Airport, Pisa Airport, Venice Marco Polo Airport and Catania Fontanarossa Airport. Just before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was the second largest airline ...

AirX Charter is Malta's private charter airline. AirX is certified European Aviation Operator (AOC) in Malta and has a fleet of 18 aircraft, consisting 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 ....

Italy's largest air carrier, Alitalia, was founded in September 1946 and at that time was called Alitalia-Aereolinee Italiane Internazionali. Alitalia operated its first flight on May 5, 1947 on a three-engine Fiat G-12 aircraft (Turin - Rome - Catania flight). In July of the same year, Alitalia will make its first international flight. Alitalia delivers on the Savoia Marchetti SM95 ...

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

Japanese airline ANA was established on April 1, 2013, with the transition of All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. for a holding structure and transformation to ANA HOLDINGS INC. ANA's history began in December 1952, when Japan Helicopter & Airplane Transports Co., Ltd. Japan Helicopter & Airplane Transports C ...

Asiana Airlines was founded on February 17, 1988. Ten months later (December 10), Asiana Airlines acquired the Boeing B737-400 and began operating domestic flights (from Seoul to Busan and Gwangju). As early as December 1989, Asiana Airlines operated its first international flight (Seoul-Sendai charter flight). Asiana Airlines is rapidly developing 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 rules established by JAA / EASA. Having at its disposal an air fleet consisting of two mid-size aircraft BAe-146-300 "Whisperjet" and ...

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

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

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

Azur Air (legal name PKF KATEKAVIA LLC) - Russian charter airline based at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. Since 2015, it is a member of the tourist holding Anex Tour ism Group and works for the needs of the tour operator Anex Tour, performing 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 Siberian and Volga ...

The Italian private airline Blue Panorama Airlines was founded in 1998 and operated its maiden flight in December this year. Blue Panorama Airlines has specialized in both regular 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. Airline Blue Pan ...

The Greek airline Bluebird Airways was founded in 2008. The main location of Bluebird Airways is the international airport of Heraklion "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 ...

British airline British Midland Airways (BMI) began its existence in 1938 as flight school training pilots for the British Air Force. Since 1949, the airline continues to operate regular commercial flights under the name Derby Aviation, and since 1953, the airline only begins air travel and changes 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 number of 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 out the remaining 55% from 2011. On December 9, 2009, Brussels Airlines becomes an official member of the Star ...

Bul Air is a Bulgarian charter airline. She is subsidiary Bulgaria Air On charter flights, Bul Air operates a fleet of its own Boeing 737-300 aircraft (148 seats in economy class), the perfect technical condition of which is ensured by Lufthansa Technician Sofia. In the future, the company plans to expand its fleet with Boeing 737-800NG aircraft (189 seats in economy class). 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 aircraft called "Betsy". Quite an interesting fact in the history of Cathay Pacific Airways is that when Cathay Pacific Airways sold Betsy in 1955, 30 years later, it was ...

The Chinese airline China Airlines was formed on December 16, 1959. Its operating activities are China Airlines started lead with 26 employees and an air fleet of three military aircraft (one Douglas C-54 Skymaster military transport aircraft and two PBY Catalina naval patrol bombers). In 1961, China Airlines began transporting military cargo to Laos. In 1962, an aviator ...

China Eastern Airlines was formed on the basis of the Eastern China Regional Office of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of China People's Republic June 25, 1988. By January 2010, China Eastern Airlines had a fleet of 330 large and medium-sized passenger aircraft, as well as 18 general aviation aircraft flying 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 airline in the People's Republic of China, with 1,930 flights every day to 193 destinations in 35 countries. China Southern Airlines was the first in the world to use Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 airliners. Currently ...

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 7, 2016. The fleet consists of six aircraft - four Airbus A320s and two A319s. Serves 16 regular destinations ....

Copa Airlines was founded in 1947 as Panama's national carrier under the name Compania Panamena de Aviacion (COPA). Having started to operate domestic flights connecting the three cities on Douglas DC-3 / C47 aircraft, COPA in 1996 already operated 3 international flights a week (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 formed on August 7, 1989 under the name Zagal (Zagreb Airlines). Zagal operated the Cessna 402 C aircraft in its fleet. Following the elections in Croatia on 23 July 1990, Zagal was renamed Croatia Airlines. In 1991, Croatia Airlines rented an airplane from Adria Airways ...

The national airline of the Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus Airways, was founded on September 24, 1947, and on April 18, 1948, Cyprus Airways operated its first flight from Nicosia airport on a Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Exactly five years later, Cyprus Airways will start operating international flights (Nicosia - Athens flight). With a fleet of six Airbus A320s at its disposal, Cyprus Airways operates ...

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

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

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

Located at the Tel Aviv airport, Israeli airline El Al was founded in 1948 as Israel's National Airlines. The first El Al flight was in September 1948, during which an El Al aircraft transported the first president of Israel from Geneva to the Tel Nof military base. In 1950-1956, El Al aircraft were actively used in Operation Magic Carpet and Ezra and Nehemiah, in ...

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

Based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Emirates Airlines is a fully state-owned airline. Emirates Airlines began operating commercial flights on October 25, 1985, after leasing two airliners (Boeing 737 and Airbus 300 B4). Three years later, Emirates Airlines reached the level of receiving stable profits and began to rapidly develop as a route network, i.e. ...

Ethiopia's national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines was founded on December 21, 1945 under the name Ethiopian Air Lines. Ethiopian Air Lines operated its first flight on April 8, 1946 (on the Addis Ababa - Cairo route on a former American military aircraft Douglas C-47 Skytrain). With a fleet of five Douglas C-47 Skytrains, Ethiopian Air Lines begins operating weekly flights ...

Based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the national airline Etihad Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. Founded 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. EVA Air's development history 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 airplanes or ...

The state-controlled Finnish airline Finnair is the successor to Aero O / Y, one of the oldest airlines in Europe (Aero O / Y was registered on September 12, 1923). In 1946, the airline Aero O / Y was bought by the Finnish government and received its current name - Finnair. Finnair has one interesting fact... In 1983, the airspace of the USSR was over ...

Based at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Garuda Indonesia is the national carrier of Indonesia. Created under the name Garuda Indonesian Airways, the airline, with its Douglas DC-3 Dakota and PBY Catalina aircraft, began operating commercial flights back in 1949 (the flight from Kolkata to Rangoon was operated on January 26, 1949). In the 60s of the last century, Garuda Indones ...

Germania was founded in 1986 as Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH and is based in Cologne. Germania inherited the aircraft operating license from S.A.T. The first aircraft (Boeing 737-300) with the brand name "Germania", the Germania airline commissioned in 1987 and in ten years brings the number of Boeing 737-300 to 13 units. In 1991, Germania begins to carry out ...

German airline Germanwings was founded on October 27, 2002 (Deutsche Lufthansa owns 100% of Germanwings). Germanwings Airlines 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 from its fleet Airbus A ...

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

Hainan Airlines (Hainan Airlines Co Ltd) is the largest private carrier in China. Founded in January 1993, Hainan Airlines (originally called Hainan Province Airlines) operated its maiden 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. Heli Air Monaco was founded in 1976 with the support of the Prince of Monaco Rainier III and this year carried 747 passengers on its only helicopter ENSTROM F28. Throughout its history, Heli Air Monaco has constantly replenished its helicopter fleet ...

Russian charter airline I FLY received the "Operator's 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). To operate flights, by air ...

Iberia is the largest airline in Spain. The Iberia airline was founded on June 28, 1927. Iberia operated 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 into the International Airlines Group, Iberia becomes part of the largest ...

Icelandair is Iceland's national carrier. The airline was created in 1937 under the name FlugfВlag Akureyrar (then it was based in the city of Akureyri). In 1940 the airline was relocated to Reykjavik and renamed Flugfelag Islands. In 1973 it merged with Loftleiоir to form Flugleiоir. And only a few years later it got its current name - Icelandair. Basic air ...

JSC Airline IrAero is a Russian airline based in the international airport of the city of Irkutsk. IrAero Airlines was established in 1999. Since 2006, IrAero has been carrying out passenger transportation and is currently the largest carrier in the region. The fleet of IrAero aircraft consists of CRJ-100/200 aircraft (pr ...

The Israeli airline Israir Airlines dates back to 1996. Mainly, Israir Airlines specializes in domestic scheduled passenger services. In addition, Israir Airlines operates regular, charter international flights and vip transportation, as well as air taxi services. The base airport of Israir Airlines is Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion International Airport, and 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. April 1, 2011, Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd. changed its name to Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. .. The aircraft fleet of Japan Airlines numbers more than 300 modern airliners (mainly Boeing-747). More than 8.5 ...

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

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, Karthago Airlines operates most of its flights from Tunis-Carthage International Airport. Karthago Airlines specializes in charter flights between Tunisia and Europe (Copenhagen and Stockholm). By sos ...

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

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

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

LAN Airlines was established under the name Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica by the Chilean government to carry out passenger, cargo and mail services in 1929. In 1932, the airline Línea Aeropostal Santiago-Arica was changed to Línea Aérea Nacional de Chile (LAN Chile). 60 years after the airline was founded, the Chilean government is selling 51% of the airline's shares to local investors and Sca ...

Lauda Air is an airline based in Vienna, Austria. Operates regular, charter and weekend flights to Europe, North Africa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Lauda Air was founded in 1979 by former Formula 1 champion Niki Lauda and began operations in 1985, initially operating charters and air taxi services. 1989 Lauda Air began operating the first long-haul ...

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% are owned by the SAir Group. The airline's representative office is located in Warsaw as well as its base airport - Warsaw-Okecie. The airline LOT Polish started operating in 1929. But then the Civil Aviation Department nationalized all private airlines and merged them into one state - Linje Lot ...

Lufthansa, one of the oldest airlines in Europe, was registered on January 6, 1926. But it really developed and became one of the largest air carriers only in the 60s, when the first in Europe began to operate flights on the then most modern Boeing-707. Then the aircraft fleet of Lufthansa expanded and it was replenished with new Boeings 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 a national airline, Malayan Airways Limited operated its first commercial flight on April 2, 1947. Malaysia Airlines operates scheduled flights to 85 destinations across six continents. Malaysia Airlines' main hub is Int ...

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 in its first year of operation managed to carry 186 passengers. Following the acquisition in 1966 of two 26 local Nord 262 aircraft, Alisarda begins to ...

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

MIAT Mongolian Airlines is the national airline of Mongolia, with its 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 gave Mongolia on May 25, 1925. More or less regular air transportation of passengers within the country, MIAT Mongolian Airlines began in ...

The national 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 operating on January 1, 1946, operating a flight from Beirut to Nicosia. Using the airline at its disposal three self ...

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

Niki is the first Austrian low-cost airline. The history of Niki begins with the purchase in November 2003 of the German airline Aero Lloyd (together with two Airbus 320s and one Airbus 321) 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. Ni ...

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

Nordwind Airlines (LLC " North wind") is one of the most dynamically developing airlines in Russia. Established in May 2008, Nordwind Airlines, with only three aircraft, begins to operate charter flights to six resort destinations. In 2013, the route network of Nordwind Airlines already numbered 97 destinations in 27 countries, with this, in the plans of Nordwind Airlines for 2013-2014 would be ...

Norwegian airline Norwegian (Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA) was founded in 1993. From its founding until 2012, Norwegian, 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 purchasing Braathens S.A.F.E. with SAS in 2002, Norwegian began regular domestic flights with Boei ...

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

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

Pakistan's national airline Pakistan International Airlines has a rather unusual history. was founded on October 23, 1946 (even before the division of the territory of British India in 1947) in Kolkata under the name Orient Airways. After receiving four Douglas DC-3s on June 4, 1947, Orient Airways began operating the Kolkata-Situe-Yangon route. Since August 14, 1947 (Pakistan Independence Day), Orient Ai ...

Pegas Fly (legal name Ikar Airlines LLC) is a Russian airline based at Yemelyanovo airport in Krasnoyarsk and providing regular long-distance passenger services. The airline has a Khabarovsk branch. The airline was founded in 1992 in Magadan. In 2013, the airline was acquired from previous owners and transferred to Krasnoyarsk. On April 16, 2013, an admission to the implementation of international ...

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

Australian airline Qantas is one of the oldest airlines in the world (second only to KLM) that has survived to this day. Qantas history begins with the formation of Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited and its decision on August 19, 1920 to purchase two Avro 504K aircraft from Sydney airfield. Qantas' formalization took place on November 16, 1920 at the Gresham Hotel in Brisbane. Western Que ...

The national carrier of Qatar, Qatar Airways has been one of the fastest growing airlines in the world since 1997. Thanks to the group of companies belonging to 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 in ...

Based at Moscow Vnukovo Airport, the airline 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 begins to operate year-round charter flights to the most popular tourist destinations ...

Royal Flight - JSC "Airline" ROYAL FLIGHT "- Russian charter airline, performing charter passenger air transportation. Based at Sheremetyevo airport. Headquartered in Moscow, the airline switched to international passenger transportation under the Royal Flight brand in 2014. On March 8, 2014, the first flight on the route Moscow - Antalya was performed from Domodedovo airport ...

Jordan's national airline, Royal Jordanian, was originally named Alia. Alia Airlines was founded on December 9, 1963 and a week later began operations. With three aircraft at its disposal, Alia began operating flights to four destinations, linking Amman, Kuwait, Beirut and Cairo. Alia gradually expanded its air fleet and route map. Its first scheduled flight to Europe, an airline ...

Based at Jeddah International Airport, Saudia is the flagship airline Saudi Arabia... The history of Saudia began with the fact that after the opening of navigation on 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, ...

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), a multinational airline, was founded on August 1, 1946 as a result of a partnership between three leading airlines (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) to organize international flights in Scandinavia. Scandinavian Airlines System operates regular passenger and cargo services. In 1954, Scandinavian Airlines System became the first airline ...

China regional airline Shenzhen Airlines was founded (major shareholders are Air China and Shenzhen International Total Logistics Co, Ltd) in November 1992 with the aim of providing passenger, cargo and airmail services. Shenzhen Airlines began operating on September 17, 1993. From the very beginning of its operation, Shenzhen Airlines has been distinguished by high development dynamics and quality of ...

Singapore Airlines was founded in 1972 by splitting the older Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (founded May 1, 1947 as Malayan Airways Limited) into two new airlines: Singapore Airlines and the 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 OR 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 (which served as the basis for South African Airways. which came under the authority of the South African Railways and Ports Administration). Having received its first aircraft on November 1, 1934 ...

Swiss Intarnational Air Lines (Swiss) was formed in 2002 after the Lufthansa Aviation Group bought the bankrupt Swiss national carrier Swissair. Swiss Intarnational Air Lines began operating activities on March 31, 2002 and until 2005 constantly suffered losses. In 2005, Swiss Intarnational Air Lines was integrated into the Lufthansa Group as an independent ...

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 safety level 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.

The company "" registered in Khanty-Mansiysk 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 aircraft 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 was a hard landing of a passenger liner flying from Indonesia.

Today "Cathay Pacific Airways" serves dozens of countries, including all Southeast Asia, Europe, USA 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 annually, 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 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 human casualties.

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 are going 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 choose 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.

In connection with the increasing reports of plane crashes, especially low-cost airlines, many are seriously concerned about the safety of flights. Air transport is generally considered to be one of the safest modes of travel. To dispel fears and speculation, you can trust trusted carriers. The most reliable airlines in the world are included in the respective ratings.

The issue of safe flights is carefully studied not only by ordinary passengers, but also by large statistical agencies. The most authoritative ratings of airline reliability are held by the German company Jacdec and the European Aviation Safety Agency, which publish lists of safe carriers based on research data. When calculating the coefficients, parameters for the past thirty years are taken into account. Other major international aviation organizations are also involved in safety audits.

The calculation is made taking into account various indices with different specific gravity. Thus, a recent accident will carry more weight than a catastrophe that occurred many years ago. When calculating, the following parameters are taken into account:

1. The total number of passengers served.
2. The total number of victims of disasters.
3. The number of ships destroyed or lost.
4. Number of breakdowns and emergency landings, runway exits, etc.
5. Rating of the state-owner of the company: thoroughness and transparency of incident investigations.

The longer an airline has been operating without incident, the higher its ranking position. The safety index obtained as a result of calculations should be as small as possible, which will indicate the reliability of the company. Carriers with a high index are therefore less secure.

The safest airlines in the world

Cathay Pacific Airways is in first place according to the results of various agencies for the second year in a row.

Over the years, the Hong Kong-based company has been at the forefront of the list of trusted carriers. In 30 years, the only incidents were a hard landing at an airport and two terrorist attacks on planes. The airline's safety index is 0.006.

Emirates ranks second with a safety index of 0.007. Over the years of activity, only two incidents have been associated with this company, in which passengers were not injured. The airlines cooperate with S7 and operate regular and charter flights from many cities in Russia.

Eva Air, located in Taiwan, is in third place. There were no serious incidents in its activities, with the exception of a runway out of bounds, a false report of a mined ship and an emergency landing due to the poor health of one of the passengers. Eva Air has a safety index of 0.008. This airline does not operate within Russia.

Safe airlines in Russia

Not all internationally recognized airlines operate in Russia. This, however, does not mean that there are no carriers in our country, whose reliability should not be feared. A number of Russian enterprises have a safety index that does not exceed the permissible standards. Let's consider which airline is the most reliable in Russia.

In addition to the above parameters, the calculations take into account the punctuality of the carrier, the age and general technical condition of the ships and their compliance with international documentation and standards. We will list and consider the most reliable airlines in Russia.

According to EASA ratings, the company “ Ural Airlines". Her rating is 0.24 points. The company is characterized by high reliability: for a period of 14 years, it has not had a single incident where there were victims.

The second place is currently occupied by S7 Airlines, formerly referred to as "Siberia". Despite the fleet of aircraft, which can be up to 20 years old, their technical condition does not cause concern for international commissions. In the early 2000s, the company was going through difficult times, when about 300 passengers were killed in crashes. Today, the flights of this carrier are distinguished by their reliability and quality.

Aeroflot occupies different positions depending on different data. In 2016, it was characterized by a safety index of 0.108 points and was included in the top 60 of the world's most reliable carriers, consolidating at the 36th place. This is a high figure that exceeds the parameters of many large foreign companies.

According to 2017 data, in Russia it is in third place and receives 0.38 points. The assessment was largely influenced by the disasters that occurred back in the 1990s. Now the company is steadily renewing its aircraft fleet and is characterized by reliability and high quality of services.

Transaero was also previously included in the list of the top 60 companies in the world, ranking 17th with a rating of 0.024. As of today, the airlines have ceased operations.

Khanty-Mansiysk carrier Uteyr today is a large popular company, whose aircraft fleet consists of young technology. She specializes in short regional flights. The last major incident on the airline was the crash of a cargo helicopter.

Alternative safety ratings

In addition to the generally recognized scoring systems with a safety index, there are other classifications of companies that are provided by some agencies. Thus, British researchers study companies on the basis of their punctuality, where one of the lines was taken by the Russian S7 Airlines.

Skytrax has created a product called the Quality Rating. The service is based on monthly calculations of the performance indicators of companies and is constantly updated depending on the data received. The creators of the service emphasize that their calculations are not based on disaster data, since such incidents may not occur through the fault of the airlines.

The parameters of personnel compliance with safety standards and the availability of preparatory courses in case of an unforeseen situation fall under careful analysis. Agency experts visit companies in order to identify and compile a rating. In this case, the carriers are not assigned marks or indexes, but stars.

Five stars were awarded to seven companies, among which there are two companies included in the Jacdac and EASA ratings. These are Cathay Pacific Airways and Qatar Airways.

The list also includes Russian airlines. Thus, S7 Airlines and Aeroflot were awarded three stars in the rating, while Russia received two stars.

The likelihood and causes of disasters

The crash of the FlyDubai ship in Russia caused quite a stir. After the accident, a number of sources claimed that the crash was caused by neglect of flight safety measures. These data have not been confirmed, but there are no fewer questions for low-cost airlines.

It is worth noting that rumors about the incompetence of low-cost airline pilots and outdated technology are fundamentally wrong. The personnel and equipment of such companies meet all international requirements, and the difference between such flights from standard ones lies in the price and service.

Choosing one or another airline for a flight, almost everyone is based on the concept of reliability and safety. This applies to the very design of the liner, as well as the upcoming flight. The best Russian airlines are still holding their ground, according to the safety research sites among Russian airlines.

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

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

In order to increase the passenger flow, many airlines hold various promotions that help to provide discounts on re-use or reduce the price of air tickets. What can this be connected with and what can be reflected?

• Customer service level.

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

• Frequency of flight delays.

Sometimes it happens that some airlines have frequent departure delays. As a rule, this happens with charter flights. But sometimes departures are also delayed for regular flights. The reasons may vary. For example, many departures in one direction, waiting for their turn, additional checks of the aircraft or emergency repairs. Developed companies strictly monitor the technical condition of air transport and equipment, as well as calculate flight times in such a way as not to create delays in flights, taking care that customers are delivered to their destination on time and on time.

• Service on board.

Thousands of flights are made every day, their routes often cross. Due to this, a lot of competition arises. In order to attract customers to themselves, carriers are trying to diversify Additional services offered on board. Nowadays, many people for work need constant access to the Internet, including at a height. This service has now become available among the best airlines in Russia. For an additional fee, you can be online and work on the Web during the flight.

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

• Meals on board.

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

• The technical condition of the liners.

Not all airlines regularly update their fleet. Before the flight, many customers still study information about the condition and number of aircraft in the fleet of the selected airline. As a rule, among the best airlines in Russia there is a regular fleet renewal. A new plane subconsciously feels more reliable than a liner with a cracked skin. The new aircraft have state-of-the-art equipment and are equipped with the latest developments in technology specializing in aviation. They can reach high speeds while using less fuel. It is known that in the fleet of low-cost airlines, as a rule, most of the liners are completely new, because less money is spent on their maintenance. This makes it possible to reduce ticket prices.

• Airfare.

For most customers, the ticket price plays a decisive role in choosing a flight. Air carriers arrange various promotions or temporarily reduce the cost for a certain direction during the off-season. To get more attention from customers, many airlines resort to such a marketing ploy as indicating next to the price information that there are only a few seats left at that cost.

Airline marketing gimmicks

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

Among the 10 best airlines in Russia, one can single out the most basic ones in terms of rating, safety and the number of flights performed.

Aeroflot

Aeroflot still holds the leading position, having transported more than 20 million people in the previous year. As one of the oldest and largest airlines in the world, it has regularly transported passengers since the mid-1920s.

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

S7

For many years the Siberian air carrier has been showing itself as a reliable company and is gaining the trust of an increasing number of customers. Carrying out communication with major cities Russia, she often holds promotions and places special offers on her website. Thanks to this, many people fly S7 flights across Russia in business class at fairly affordable prices.

According to a study to identify the best airline in Russia in 2016, conducted on the basis of an anonymous survey, the number of booked seats in high-comfort classes was made by people flying on work and business trips. Operating flights to 80 destinations in Russia and abroad, the company cooperates with partner airlines, including the world famous British Airways.

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

"Russia"

As a subsidiary of Aeroflot, Rossiya is also one of the top best airlines in Russia. Over the past year, more than 7 million people used the services of this carrier in various directions in the country and abroad.

The dynamics of the growth of the sold air tickets amounted to more than 40% in comparison with the previous years. The air carrier is based in St. Petersburg and operates most of its flights from Pulkovo. Flights with numbers 6 are operated on behalf of Aeroflot, and those that start with 5 are operated under the name of Russia.

Utair

The Russian airline Utair has operated since the middle of the 20th century and is also considered one of the best airlines in Russia. In addition to a fleet of more than 60 airliners, it also has a fleet of helicopters.

Over the past year, the airline carried more than 5 million people, which increased its turnover by about 19%. Based at Moscow's Vnukovo airport.

Ural Airlines

The air carrier has been operating regular and charter flights in the Russian aviation market for over 20 years. Operating flights within the country and abroad, the company transported more than 5 million people last year. It has a wide fleet of airliners, mostly airbuses, and is one of the five best airlines in Russia.

The company is based in Koltsovo in Yekaterinburg and the Moscow Domodedovo airport and operates flights to more than 200 destinations. Several years ago, she opened her own simulator for training and educating pilots.

Summarizing

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

Most of the aircraft flying in Russia are not 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

Has become biggest 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 in 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 in good working order according to the latest data. The Kazan disaster, as decided by the commission of inquiry, is Egyptian - three weeks later it was recognized as a terrorist attack. The suspicions of the poor condition of the aircraft flying in Russia, however, did not evaporate. 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 the leader 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 non-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 lands on the ground, on packed snow or on ice,” recalls the honored pilot of the USSR, President of the Air Transport Infrastructure Development Fund Oleg Smirnov. - He flew all over airspace The USSR 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. 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 on English language, which is not owned by 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, "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 service life, and our aircraft are often more. According to Andrey Sharypov, head of the civil aviation vessels certification department of the State Scientific 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 world 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 airline Yak-42: according to airfleets.net, if we take into account the alternating carriers of the same, 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 at that time: Tu-134, Tu-154B, Tu-154M, Il-62, Il-86. Thus, airlines that actively flew to Europe and transited over European countries were forced to replace their old noisy 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 cost effective 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 in a lump sum - 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 been not only increasing, but also refreshing 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.