The best airlines in Russia: list, services and reviews. The most reliable airlines in the world and Russia Airline list

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. According to websites conducting research in the field of flights among Russian airlines on safety, best airlines Russia still hold their positions.

The air carrier market is constantly in the development stage, and 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 contribute to the provision of discounts for re-use or lower prices for air tickets. With what it can be connected and on what can be reflected?

• Customer service level.

When purchasing 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, manifests itself in the future. Even the best airlines in Russia have air ticket prices distributed depending on the class chosen by the client: economy, business and first.

• Frequency of flight delays.

Sometimes it happens that some air carriers experience frequent departure delays. As a rule, this happens with charter flights. But sometimes departures are delayed for regular flights. The reasons may be different. For example, many departures in one direction, waiting in line, additional checks on the board or emergency repairs. Developed companies strictly monitor the technical condition air transport and equipment, as well as timing flights in such a way as not to create flight delays, making sure that customers are delivered to their destination on time and on time.

• Service on board.

Thousands of flights are made every day, often their routes intersect. This creates a lot of competition. In order to attract customers specifically to themselves, carriers are trying to diversify Additional services offered on board. Nowadays, many people need a constant access to the Internet for work, including at 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 case when the journey lasts more than 6 hours, passengers are given pillows and blankets. But even if the flight takes a very short time, it is still possible to ask for a pillow and a blanket.

• Meals on board.

Flights over 3 hours are already considered long flights 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 is made at night or early in the morning, a choice of juice, tea, coffee and a light snack is served, a hot dish, tea, coffee or juice with snacks is served during the day and in the evening.

• The technical condition of the liners.

Not all airlines regularly renew their aircraft fleet. Many customers still study information about the condition and number of aircraft in the fleet of the selected air carrier before the flight. As a rule, among the best airlines in Russia, the fleet is regularly updated. A new aircraft subconsciously evokes a feeling of greater reliability than a liner with a cracked skin. New aircraft have modern equipment, they are equipped with the latest developments in technology, specialized in the field of aviation. They can reach high speeds while consuming less fuel. It is known that in the fleet of low-cost airlines, as a rule, most of the liners are brand 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 of a certain direction during the off-season period. In order to attract more attention from customers, many airlines resort to such a marketing ploy as indicating next to the price of the information that there are only a few seats left at this cost.

Airlines marketing tricks

It is also noticed that if you request the same date on the same site, then 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 your browser. Tickets purchased a few months before departure are usually 25% cheaper than those sold a few days before the upcoming flight.

Among the top 10 airlines in Russia, the most important ones can be distinguished in terms of rating, safety and the number of flights.

"Aeroflot"

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

According to research conducted in 2016, it is considered one of the safest airlines in the world. Passenger traffic increased by 12% over the previous year compared to 2015. To date, the company ranks first in the ranking of the best airlines in Russia.

S7

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

According to a study to identify which airline is the best in Russia in 2016, conducted on the basis of an anonymous survey, the number reserved places in classes with increased comfort 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, among which there is even the world famous British Airways.

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

"Russia"

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

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

Utair

The Russian airline Utair has been flying since the middle of the 20th century and is also considered one of the best airlines in Russia. In addition to the fleet of airliners, numbering more than 60 liners, 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 Vnukovo Airport.

"Ural Airlines"

The air carrier performs regular and charter flights on 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 liners, which are mainly airbuses, and is one of the five best airlines in Russia.

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

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.

01/14/2016 at 10:48 pm pavlofox · 68 570

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

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

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

Russia on reliability and safety of flights is compiled according to EASA data for 2018-2019.

10. Russia | 63 aircraft

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

9. North wind | 30 aircraft

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

8. Orenburg Airlines | 19 aircraft

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

7. Red Wings | 14 aircraft

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

6. Yamal | 37 aircraft

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

5. Globe | 23 aircraft

“” (Globus) is one of the youngest airlines, formed on the basis of the Siberia ships (S7 Airlines). The company places particular emphasis on flight safety and reliability. To do this, the security system is regularly tested and constantly improved. Globus cooperates with many travel agencies. Making flights on tourist routes- the main activity of the air carrier. The Globus fleet consists of S7 Airlines aircraft and includes 23 Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which have been received since the fall of 2018 and continue to be received in 2019 as well. The average age of aircraft is 8.9 years.

4. UTair | 65 aircraft

“” (UTair) is one of the largest Russian airlines, which is one of the five largest in terms of passenger traffic. Although UTair was not included in the top 100 safest carriers in the world, it took an honorable fourth place in the national rating. UTair was awarded in 2019 as the Best Passenger Carrier on Regional Routes. Flight personnel regularly undergo advanced training. The fleet includes 65 aircraft and 145 helicopters. The average age of transport is 11.5 years.

3. Siberia | 100 aircraft

"Siberia"(S7 Airlines) is one of the three largest and safest airlines in Russia in 2018-2019. S7 Airlines has won numerous competitions. In 2015, the air carrier received an award national geographic Traveler Awards 2015, winning in the nomination “Best Russian airline". Among the world's air carriers, Siberia took 94th place in the safety and reliability rating. The air fleet includes Airbuses and Boeings, the total number of which is 100 units. The average service life of air transport is 10 years.

2. Ural Airlines | 45 aircraft

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

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

1. Aeroflot | 247 aircraft

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

What else to see:

Introducing the list major airlines, which carry out 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 website: aeroflot.ru

The largest and oldest Russian airline, included in the list of the oldest in the world. Performs domestic and international transfers from Russia around the world. It has three subsidiaries: Aurora, Pobeda and Rossiya.

"Russia"

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

S7 Airlines

• Official site: s7.ru
• Hub airport: Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk), Domodedovo (Moscow)

The former Siberia Airlines, founded in 1992, underwent a large-scale rebranding in 2006. Currently performs regular internal and international flights. Owns a subsidiary airline Globus.

UTair (UTair)

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

Ural Airlines (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
• Hub airport: Vnukovo (Moscow)

Budget subsidiary of Aeroflot.

Azur Air

• Official website: azurair.com

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

Nordwind Airlines

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

A subsidiary airline of the Pegas Touristik tour operator, which operates both regular flights and charter transfers on popular destinations, including resort towns Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Central America.

VIM-Avia (Vim Airlines)

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

Carries out regular domestic flights across Russia, including the South, the Urals, Siberia and 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. It carries out domestic transfers in Russia (Siberia, the Far East, the Sakhalin Region, Primorsky Territory), as well as international flights to China, Japan and South Korea.

"Pegas Fly" ("Icarus")

• Official website: pegasfly.com
• Hub airport: Yemelyanovo (Krasnoyarsk)

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

Nordstar

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

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

Photo: Transport-Photo Images

It became 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 “providing services that do not meet safety requirements” and “violating flight safety rules or training for them” . The searches took place at the carrier's office, Domodedovo, Samara airport, where the aircraft was refueled. State Duma deputies immediately called for a ban on the operation of aircraft older than 15 years (Airbus Kogalymavia was 18 years old) and the deprivation of the license of carrier companies with a small number of aircraft. The head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Alexei Pushkov, said that it leads to plane crashes. Deputies put forward similar initiatives after the crash of a 23-year-old Boeing 737 in Kazan on October 17, 2013. Then, as now, the public ignored statements by airlines and industry experts who argued that an aircraft is not a machine and 20 years of operation is not such a long time for it.

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

How we thought

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

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

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

Which models are chosen

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

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

There is no definition of a medium-haul aircraft in Russian legislation. In the world, it is customary to include vehicles with a flight range of more than 2.5 thousand km into this category. Long-haul vehicles in Russia are those with a flight range of more than 8,000 km.

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

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

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

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

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

Of the Soviet aircraft, the An-24 airline fleet has the most - 67 aircraft. A turboprop passenger aircraft for short and medium haul lines was developed by the Antonov Design Bureau (KB) in the late 1950s. The maximum capacity is up to 52 passengers. It is operated mainly by Russian regional companies (RBC considers those who do not make long-haul flights, flights through the capital's air hub and are not based in Moscow and St. Petersburg). “An-24 is the only aircraft in the world of this class that lands on the ground, on packed snow or on ice,” reminds Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR, President of the Air Transport Infrastructure Development Fund. He flew all over airspace 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. So far, it is impossible to replace it en masse with foreign models. First, foreign-made aircraft that could land at the airfields in these regions can accommodate fewer passengers, Kramarenko explains. In addition, the technical documentation for them is 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, "because they run out of their resources and it will become extremely difficult and expensive to maintain their airworthiness," predicts Dmitry Mirgorodsky, a partner at the consulting company Concuros, former vice president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. There are no replacements for their domestic counterparts.

The second most popular among Soviet aircraft is the Yak-42: there are 33 such aircraft in the fleet of Russian airlines. However, several of them are in storage: some are waiting for the replacement of parts, some will no longer rise into the air. Cars are included in the parks of Gazpromavia, Grozny Avia, Izhavia, Saratov Airlines. The last company started flying Brazilian Embraer 190s two years ago.

How old are airplanes in Russia

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

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

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

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

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

What happened to the Soviet design bureaus

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

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

The study showed that 58.7% of the aircraft in the Russian fleet had only one or two operators. And more than ten air carriers that have replaced each other - in the luggage only 3% of the boards. And in many cases, two of the same companies used the aircraft in turn. So, for example, the Izhavia aircraft had a Yak-42: according to airfleets.net, if you take into account the alternation of the same carriers, it changed 20 operators in 28 and a half years. According to Smirnov, professionals are distrustful of an aircraft that previously flew "in countries with high humidity, such as Africa." However, both the lessor and the owner are obliged to put such a car in order. In this regard, the lessor, and not the previous operator, is important for the technical condition of the aircraft, the expert believes.

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

Airline age preferences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Air travel has become an integral part of everyday life for many people. 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, ranking them 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 safety index, data on disasters over the past 30 years are taken into account, as well as passenger traffic, the number of victims and lost airliners.

When compiling the list, we also took into account the level of service on board and the average age of Russian airlines. The rating statistics by the number of liners and their average age is based on March 2016 data.

Rating of Russian airlines in terms of flight reliability and safety 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 occupied by Aeroflot, the largest air carrier in the Russian Federation, 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 by foreign experts to be more reliable than others in Russia. In addition, Aeroflot has repeatedly received the honorary title of the best airline in Eastern Europe.

The advantages of the company are different models of aircraft for every taste, well-trained staff, well-thought-out bonus programs and its own Situation Center, created to quickly solve problem situations. Aeroflot includes Rossiya, Transaero and Pobeda airlines.

• Year of foundation - 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 among the top three recognized leaders in this indicator. In 2015, this well-known air carrier received an award from National Geographic as the best Russian airline, and ranks 95th in the S7 world ranking.

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

• Year of foundation - 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 largest domestic airline. In terms of punctuality, Rossiya was included in the rating of top European companies.

The main advantage of Rossiya is its democratic pricing policy and impeccable cleanliness on board. Passengers are dissatisfied only with airliners, whose age in most cases exceeds 10 years.

• Year of foundation - 1992.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 23 units.
• Average age of airliners: 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 on domestic routes.

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

• Year of foundation - 1993.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 35 units.
• Average age of airliners: 12.7 years.

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

• Year of foundation - 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 Okrug. The fact that the aircraft used by the company is recognized as safe and reliable reflects the certificate International Association air transport, which Yamal received in 2013. A year later, the carrier was recognized as the best airline in the field of passenger transportation and the best helicopter operator.

The advantages of the Yamal company are flights to hard-to-reach settlements and regular expansion of the route network. Passengers are dissatisfied with the lack of punctuality of pilots.

• Year of foundation - 1997.
• Aircraft in the fleet: 24 units.
• Average age of airliners: 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.

• Year of foundation - 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.

• Year of foundation - 1999.
• Aircraft in the park: 13 units.
• Average age of airliners: 6.6 years.

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