Today, many Russians prefer to travel by plane. Of course, tickets for this type of transport are more expensive than, for example, for the same trains, but you can also reach your destination by air much faster. However, of course, people who fly are not least concerned about their safety. The list of Russian airlines today is quite wide, and most of them, fortunately, are considered reliable in this regard.
A bit of history
Many people remember that in the days of the USSR, only one company carried Aeroflot air passengers. It was founded in 1921. Initially, it was given the name Deruluft. In 1923, the company was renamed Dobrolet. The name "Aeroflot" was given to the civil air fleet of the RSFSR in 1932.
New companies
Unfortunately, in the 90s of the last century, the only Russian airline ceased to exist, having broken up into several smaller ones. Today, Aeroflot Corporation aircraft plow again the airspace of Russia and other countries of the world. However, to date, this is far from the only carrier in our country. The list of Russian airlines includes both giants capable of competing with Aeroflot and small charter companies.
Carrier Safety Selection Criteria
Air transport crashes do not occur often, but usually end in great tragedy with many casualties. Therefore, the choice of airline, of course, should be approached with all responsibility. Before buying a ticket for any flight, you should make sure that the carrier is able to ensure flight safety. This can be done very simply.
Since 1999, by order of the Russian Federal Aviation Service, a program for monitoring the safety of civilian traffic has been operating in our country. Within its framework, each ship making flights in the airspace of Russia, whether foreign or domestic, can be checked for compliance with safety standards at any airport in the country. Based on the inspections, the safety rating of the carrier companies is compiled. After reviewing it, you can decide, including whether it is worth using the services of a company.
The largest Russian carriers
What giants does the list of Russian airlines include? The rating of safe carriers will be presented to the reader a little lower. The list of the largest domestic airlines in terms of the number of passengers carried and the size of the fleet is as follows:
Aeroflot. This carrier, although not the only one, is currently at the top of the list of Russian airlines with the largest fleet. The latter currently consists of 106 modern machines. The controlling stake in this company belongs to the state.
S7-Airlines ("Siberia"). This company is currently the leader in domestic transportation. This carrier has 42 aircraft in its fleet. The company operates flights on 80 routes, while only 26 of them are foreign.
"Russia". This company also belongs to the state. Most of her flights are carried out to the countries of the former CIS and the Far East. However, aircraft of the Rossiya company fly to European countries. The fleet of this carrier has 30 aircraft.
Utair. This company also owns 30 cars. Its main feature is the presence of a helicopter fleet. This carrier takes both 4 and 5 places in the ranking.
These are the largest Russian airlines. The list can also be supplemented by OrenAir (Orenburg and Orsk). This company is mainly engaged in charter flights. In her park - 29 aircraft.
Rating of the safest airlines in Russia
Below, in descending order, we present you a list of Russian airlines that are considered (according to the rating of the Federal Air Transport Agency in 2015) the safest:
Ural Airlines. Although this company was not included in the list of 7 largest, today it tops the list of the safest. Over the entire existence of this carrier, there were only 3 incidents with airplanes. And all of them did without victims.
S7 Airlines. On the account of this carrier since the opening of 3 major accidents. In 2001, the Siberia Tu-154 aircraft was shot down by Ukrainians over the Black Sea. In this case, 178 people died. Another accident occurred with the Tu-154 brand S7 Airlines (51 people). The next crash killed 125 passengers (A310). To date, this carrier is considered one of the most reliable in terms of security in Europe.
Aeroflot. This company has four disasters. The most famous one happened in 1994. The pilot put his 15-year-old son at the helm. Out of ignorance, the teenager pressed one of their levers, as a result of which the autopilot turned off. It was not possible to level the plane, and he left at the peak. In this accident, 75 people died.
The list of Russian airlines for safety can, of course, be continued. In principle, monitoring compliance with legal entities involved in air transportation today is pretty serious. However, the companies listed above are currently considered the best in terms of security.
Rating of companies with the oldest aircraft
The average age of the fleet in the Russian Federation for 2016 is 12 years. The list of Russian airlines with the oldest aircraft looks like this:
Kagalymavia - 17.1 years old.
"North wind" - 14 years.
Nord Avia - 14.
Yamal is 13.7 years old.
Ural Airlines - 12.3 years.
Uteyr - 11.7.
Orenburg Airlines - 10.8.
Siberia - 9.6.
The Red Wings - 6.6.
Aeroflot - 4.4.
Are any companies banned from flying to Europe?
Some passengers would probably like to know if there are such Russian air carriers that are not allowed to fly to EU countries. Indeed, in these states certain safety standards apply and specific requirements are imposed on the technical condition of aircraft. At the same time, “black lists” of companies that are prohibited from flying in Europe’s airspace are regularly compiled.
At the beginning of the new millennium, some Russian carriers really had to abandon flights to Europe. The list of banned Russian airlines included, among others, such a giant as Ural Airlines (partially). Also, flights of the old Kuban Airlines, 400 Airlines and some others were banned. However, these were not sanctions by the European Union. The ban came from Rostransnadzor and the Federal Air Transport Agency. At the moment, ships of all Russian companies can fly to Europe.