Aeroflot airline planes. Planes of Russian airlines Planes of Russian airlines

Rossiya Airlines is part of the Aeroflot group. The carrier's base is St. Petersburg, so almost half of all flights are carried out from Pulkovo. An additional airport is Moscow Vnukovo Airport. The aircraft of Russia Airlines cause special pride, because since the formation of the company, serious work has been underway to renew the air fleet.

Thanks to an impressive fleet of more than sixty aircraft, the carrier operates in almost 150 directions to various cities on the planet and remote corners Russia. In 2016, a program was introduced to increase the number of flights in the direction of Simferopol.

Russia Airlines fleet

The year of birth of the air carrier in the form in which it exists today is 2006. Over a ten-year period, a lot of useful things have been done to update the fleet of Rossiya Airlines aircraft and “rejuvenate” the available vessels. Today, the average age of airliners at the company's disposal is 13 years. At the same time, management sets a goal to reduce this figure.

Popular destinations of Russia Airlines

Place	Direction	Find a ticket
	Moscow → Adler
	Moscow → London
	Moscow → Paris
	St. Petersburg → Dubai
	Moscow → Prague
	Moscow → Simferopol
	Moscow → Rome
	Moscow → Phuket
	Moscow → Bangkok
	Moscow → Milan

Russia Airlines fleet:

Airbus 319-100. The carrier has 26 aircraft of this brand at its disposal. The cabin capacity ranges from 116 to 138 people. The average age is around 15 years. The youngest board is 8 years old, and the oldest serves about 20 years.
Airbus 320-200. There are only five such airliners. The maximum number of passengers that can be accommodated on board is higher - 168 people. In terms of reliability and comfort, it is in no way inferior to the previous type. The average age of these Rossiya Airlines aircraft is almost the same - about 15 years.
Boeing 737-800- a popular airliner, characterized by reliability and comfortable cabin. The number of such ships is 15. The number of seats (depending on the layout of the seats on board) may vary and ranges from 168-190 seats. The age of these airliners is in the range of 16-19 years.

Boeing 747-400- 9 units. This airliner is incredibly spacious due to its elongated cabin, the presence of a second tier and a compact seating arrangement. The total number of passengers that can be carried on board is 447-522 people (depending on the layout).
Boeing 777-200. Russia Airlines fleet includes only one such aircraft. It has a capacity of 364 passengers and an age of just over 18 years.
Boeing 777-300- 5 units. Another big airliner, which transports up to 373 people at a time. The average age of these boards is 14 years.

Above we looked at what aircraft are at the disposal of Russia Airlines. All aircraft have proven reliability during operation and enjoy the trust of passengers and carriers themselves. At the same time, work on updating the aircraft fleet does not stop for a minute, which allows us to talk about the great future of the carrier.

Flights and aircraft types

There are often questions from passengers on the Internet regarding the type of aircraft in relation to certain flights. Passengers are interested in which Rossiya Airlines aircraft is assigned to flight FV5879, FV5859, FV5701 and others.

Let's consider which Russian airline aircraft are assigned to flights:

FV5879- flight from Moscow (Vnukovo) to Higuey (Punta Cana). Boeing 747-400.
FV5871- flight from Moscow (Vnukovo) to Phuket. The question of what kind of plane is flying in this direction can be answered in a similar way - the same type of Boeing (747-400).
FV5701- flight from Moscow to Larnaca. Aircraft type B747-4.
FV5859- flight from Vnukovo to Antalya. What airliner is flying? — B747-4.
FV5875- flight from the capital of the Russian Federation to Phuket. Here the situation with an aircraft is similar.

You can see which aircraft is “linked” to the flight of interest on the official website of Russia Airlines, in the schedule section. Why is this information needed? Knowing which aircraft is flying in the required direction, it is easier to book a seat in the cabin taking into account your own preferences.

The aircraft fleet for 2016 - 2017 is 61 aircraft, but according to management, in the coming years it is planned to expand the fleet to 74 units.

By the middle of this year, Rossiya had 62 aircraft at its disposal: some of them were transferred by Aeroflot, some were received from factories, and another five Boeing 777-300ER aircraft were acquired by the airline as a result of the bankruptcy of the carrier Transaero.

Airline passengers would be interested to know what planes can be flown by Rossiya Airlines. Since last year, the carrier has introduced a tradition of naming each aircraft after a Russian city; the name in Russian and English is written below the cockpit (the first plane is called St. Petersburg), and sometimes original designs are applied, for example, a leopard.

Airbus A320

The Rossiya fleet includes 5 aircraft of this model, the newest of them is 14 years old, the oldest is 18. The Airbus A-320 began to be produced by the Airbus aviation concern (headquarters in France) in the eighties of the last century, and has now been produced There are already more than two thousand airliners in the sky.

A320 is the first passenger airliner, where an electric remote control circuit is implemented: the steering wheels are replaced with side handles. The hull of the aircraft is made of the latest composite materials. New aircraft have so-called wingtips installed at the ends of their wings. "sharklets" that reduce noise pollution and save aviation fuel.

The airliner has the following technical and flight characteristics:

aircraft length - 37.5 meters;
take-off weight - 77 tons;
speed – 840 km/h;
flight ceiling – 11.8 km;
flight range – 6.2 thousand km;
number of passenger seats – 168.

A diagram of the A-320 cabin, indicating the best and worst seats, is shown in the figure below.

Business class consists of rows 1, 2 and 3, the very first of which may not be as comfortable as it is located close to the toilet and kitchen. The fourth row - the first for economy class - is convenient because no one reclines the back of the seat on their knees, and food begins to be offered from these rows. At the same time, you can find yourself next to a small child, whose bassinets are attached to the partition in front of the 4th row. It will also be impossible to stretch your legs, because... they rest against a blank wall (if there is a screen instead, there is no inconvenience).

The 10th and 11th rows have seats with locked backs because there are emergency hatches on the sides. The 12th row is the most comfortable - it has increased legroom, so you can sit comfortably throughout the flight. But at the same time all hand luggage you will have to place it on top of the luggage racks so as not to block the emergency hatches.

The most uncomfortable seats are seats 28C, 28D, as well as all the seats in the last, 29th row, due to the proximity to the toilets: there are smells, sounds, and passengers waiting in line. In addition, in row 29 the seat backs rest against the bulkhead and do not recline.

Wi-Fi is not provided on the A-320 model aircraft of Rossiya Airlines due to its rather large weight.

Airbus A319

There are 26 airbuses of this model in the airline’s fleet, the oldest of them is 21 years old, and the newest is 8 years old. The Airbus A319 airliners are a shortened version of the Airbus A-320; they began to be produced by the concern of the same name in 1996; more than two thousand units have already been produced. This aircraft is in service with many national airlines (including in the Russian Federation) and continues to be produced. The aircraft's control systems are very similar to those installed on the A-320. This allows you to save on retraining of flight personnel. The Airbus A319 flies best on medium and short distances without increased passenger flow.

Flight characteristics of the A-319 airliner:

flight range – 6.9 thousand km;
flight ceiling - 11.8 km;
speed – 840 km per hour;
take-off weight – 70-75 tons;
length 33.8 – m.

The airline's subsidiary Aeroflot has at its disposal an A-319 with three cabin layout options: with a capacity of 124 passengers with a two-class layout and up to 156 people with a single-class layout.

If you have business class, it occupies the first 2 rows, all the seats there are comfortable. In the 3rd row, the beginning of economy class, the advantage is increased legroom and the inability to recline the back of the seat in front, and the disadvantage is the possible proximity to babies (the bassinets are attached to the partitions). Also, some inconvenience may be caused by the fact that the tables extend from the armrests of the chairs.

The seats in the 8th row are adjacent to the emergency exit, which reduces their comfort. The 9th row, on the contrary, attracts with increased legroom. However, disabled people and passengers with children cannot sit in these seats. The unlucky seats are 21C and 21d because they are located next to the passage to the tail toilets. Row 22 is considered the most inconvenient, as it runs up against the wall of the toilets with all the unpleasant smells and sounds.

Boeing 737-800 (ICAO code b738)

Rossiya's aircraft fleet includes 17 Boeing 737 800 series aircraft, the oldest of which is 17 years old, and the newest recently arrived from the factory. The narrow-body turbofan Boeing 737 is the world's most popular aircraft. passenger aviation. It has been produced by the American corporation “The Boeing Company” (headquartered in Illinois) since the late 60s of the last century; to date, more than 8 thousand aircraft have flown flights. The number of Boeing 737 aircraft in operation is so large that most of the air tickets are sold for their flights. The production of aircraft continues today; the corporation already has more than 4 thousand orders.

Boeing 737 airliners in the Russian fleet have the following flight performance characteristics:

length – 39.5 meters;
take-off weight - 79 tons;
Max. speed – 852 km/h;
flight ceiling – 12.5 km;
range – 5.7 thousand km;
number of passengers – 168 or 189.

Rows of seats from 1 to 4 are called “front row”, they have increased comfort - in-flight catering service starts from here, and when leaving the plane, passengers in these seats will have an advantage. No one will lean back on the laps of those sitting in the first row. However, in seats 1 a, b and c, 2 d, e, f there may be passengers with children.

The 14th and 15th rows, located near the emergency hatches, have restrictions on reclining the seat backs. But the seats in the 16th row are the most comfortable in the cabin: there is enough legroom, and you can lower the back of the seat to a reclining position. However, as with all airlines, on Aeroflot group aircraft, boarding in these rows is prohibited for disabled people, passengers with children and pregnant women.

Least comfortable places in the cabin they are located in row 32, which abuts the wall of the toilets. Passengers may be disturbed by odors from there, the sounds of doors closing, and passengers crowding in the aisle.

The aircraft cabins are equipped according to the Boeing Sky Interior system and are distinguished by a pleasant design and more spacious, convenient luggage racks. The lighting changes depending on the stage of flight. For entertainment on board, there is Panasonic eXW Wi-Fi internet, comfortable screens and clear sound.

Boeing 777-200ER

This class of Boeing is represented by the only aircraft that was transferred to the airline from the parent company Aeroflot. Aircraft of this modification have been produced by the Boeing concern since the fall of 1996, production continues today, since such airliners are popular. The capacity of the aircraft is 364 passengers.

The seats in the cabin are located according to the diagram in Fig. below.

The 1st and 2nd rows have business class seats with all the ensuing amenities, the seats are arranged in a 2-3-2 pattern. Economy class starts from row 3; third, fourth, fifth and sixth are rows increased comfort according to the 3-3-3 scheme. There is more space here to stretch your legs and put your luggage. There are fewer passengers here than in other economy class rows, and food service also starts from here. The least comfortable seats are in the 6th row - due to the fixed backs of the seats (this is a very significant drawback on long-distance flights).

In the 10th row, despite being classified as a regular economy seat, legroom has been increased, and passengers are also spared the reclining backrests of the seats in front. However, hand luggage can only be placed in overhead bins.

Seats in rows 10-38 are absolutely standard. The seats in the 12th row may look a little uncomfortable due to the incomplete view through the window and the noise of the engine located under the wing opposite this row.

The comfort of the seats in the 29th row is reduced due to the blocked seat backs, because the toilets are located behind them.

In this type of Boeing ak "Russia" there are 4 free-standing seats, classified as row No. 30. They are located just opposite the toilets; their backs do not recline. These places are best avoided. The seats in row 42 have the same disadvantages. But the most uncomfortable seats are seats d and h in the last 43rd row. 4 seats are surrounded on both sides by toilets, there is no access to the windows, the backrests are blocked because they rest against the aircraft galley.

The liner is equipped with multimedia entertainment systems and wireless Internet.

Boeing 777-300

Rossiya Airlines has 10 aircraft of this modification, the newest is 11 years old, the oldest is 19 years old. The Boeing Corporation began producing Boeing 7 773 00 in 1997; it is a very comfortable long-haul airliner.

His flight performance the following:

length – 74 m;
maximum weight – 299 tons;
maximum speed – 905 km per hour;
flight ceiling – 13 km;
longest range – 11.1 thousand km.

The number of passenger seats is 373. There are business class seats up to the 11th row. From 11 to 16 rows there is the so-called. comfort class, for which a separate salon is provided. The backs of the seats do not recline, but move forward, without causing any inconvenience to anyone, and they also have a footrest. The distance between rows has been increased.

Economy class occupies 3 cabins and includes rows from 17 to 51. The seats in row 17 are convenient because there are no seats in front, but it is unpleasant to look at the wall the entire flight. The seats in the 24th row are adjacent to the toilets - this is their drawback.

The seats in the 24th and 38th rows are comfortable because there is increased legroom due to the proximity to the emergency hatches. On the 46th row, the seats extend slightly into the aisle, which can create inconvenience when people and flight attendants pass there.

The boards are equipped with T-Mobile and Panasonic Avionics services to provide wireless Internet.

Boeing 747-400

There are 9 aircraft of this modification in the Rossiya fleet, the newest of which is 16 years old, the oldest is 19 years old.

Flight and technical characteristics:

length – 70.6 m;
take-off weight - 396.9 tons;
Max. speed – 913 km per hour;
flight ceiling – 13 km;
flight range is 13.5 thousand km.

Can carry from 447 to 522 passengers. This liner has 2 decks.

The places are located according to the diagram in Fig. below.

On the upper deck from rows 1 to 3 there is business class with all the ensuing amenities. Rows 5-9 – economy class. The 9th row seats are not very convenient because behind them there is a toilet and a staircase to the 1st deck.

On the lower deck, all 470 seats are in economy class. Seats in rows 10-12 are very comfortable, since they are arranged with 2 chairs. However, in the front rows there is a possibility of being adjacent to babies, because cradles for them are attached here.

The seats in the 19th row do not recline due to the emergency hatches located nearby. In rows 20-22 there may be inconvenience due to proximity to toilets, as well as in seats in row 29.

Row 31 has extra legroom, but the tables are located in the armrests of the seats.

Seats C in rows 32-34 are adjacent to the stairs to the top.

The seats in rows 67-70 are arranged in groups of 2, which is convenient for couples. But in the last, 70 and 71 rows, the backs of the seats are blocked.

Boeings of this series are equipped with devices for Wi-Fi and sockets for recharging.

Average age of aircraft Russian airlines ranges from 2.2 years (AK Pobeda) to 25.1 (Nordavia). As for the age of most of the aircraft of Aeroflot's subsidiary Rossiya Airlines, it is 13 years, which is quite reliable and attracts passengers to the flights of this carrier.

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Many Russians today 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 get to your destination by air much faster. However, of course, people who fly do not least think about their safety. The list of Russian airlines today is quite wide, and most of them, fortunately, are considered reliable in this regard.

A little history

Many people remember that during the Soviet era, only one company transported passengers by air - Aeroflot. It was founded in 1921. Initially it was given the name “Deruluft”. In 1923 the company was renamed Dobrolet. The name "Aeroflot" was assigned 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, breaking up into several small ones. Today, Aeroflot Corporation aircraft are again plying the airspace of Russia and other countries of the world. However, by now this is far from the only carrier in our country. includes both giants that can compete with Aeroflot, and small charter firms.

Criteria for selecting carrier security

Accidents do not occur frequently, but usually end great tragedy with many casualties. Therefore, of course, you should approach the choice of airline with all responsibility. Before purchasing 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, our country has had a program for monitoring the safety of civil transportation. Within its framework, every vessel flying in Russian airspace, whether foreign or domestic, can be checked for compliance with safety standards at any airport in the country. Based on the inspections carried out, a safety rating of carrier companies is compiled. After reading it, you can decide, among other things, whether it is worth using the services of a particular 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 below. The list of the largest domestic airlines by number of passengers carried and size is as follows:

Aeroflot. This carrier, although no longer the only one, currently tops the list of Russian airlines with the largest fleet. Last on this moment consists of 106 modern machines. this company is owned by the state.

S7-Airlines (“Siberia”). This company is currently the leader in domestic Russian transportation. This carrier has 42 aircraft in its fleet. The company operates flights on 80 routes, only 26 of which are foreign.

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

Utair. This company also owns 30 machines. Its main feature is considered to be the presence of a helicopter fleet. This carrier occupies both 4th and 5th places in the ranking.

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

Rating of the safest airlines in Russia

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

« Ural Airlines" Although this company was not included in the list of the 7 largest, today it tops the ranking of the safest. During the entire existence of this carrier, only 3 incidents with aircraft occurred. Moreover, they all did without casualties.

S7 Airlines. Since its opening, this carrier has had 3 major accidents. In 2001, a Sibir company Tu-154 plane was shot down by Ukrainians over the Black Sea. In this case, 178 people died. Another accident occurred with a Tu-154 of the S7 Airlines brand (51 people). The next crash killed 125 passengers (A310). To date, this carrier is considered one of the most reliable in terms of safety in Europe.

Aeroflot. This company has four disasters to its name. The most famous one happened in 1994. The pilot put his 15-year-old son at the controls. Unknowingly, the teenager pressed one of the levers, as a result of which the autopilot was turned off. It was not possible to level the plane, and it went into a dive. 75 people died in this accident.

The list of Russian airlines in terms of safety can, of course, be continued. In principle, monitoring compliance with regulations legal entities engaged in by air transportation, today is being carried out quite seriously. 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 aircraft fleet in the Russian Federation in 2016 is 12 years. The list of Russian airlines with the oldest aircraft looks like this:

"Kagalymavia" - 17.1 years.

“North Wind” - 14 years.

"Nord-Avia" - 14.

"Yamal" - 13.7 years.

Ural Airlines - 12.3 years.

"UTair" - 11.7.

Orenburg Airlines - 10.8.

"Siberia" - 9.6.

Red Wings - 6.6.

Aeroflot - 4.4.

Are any companies banned from flying to Europe?

Some passengers would probably like to know whether there are Russian air carriers that are not allowed to fly to EU countries. After all, these states have certain safety standards and have specific requirements for the technical condition of aircraft. At the same time, “black lists” of companies that are prohibited from flying in European airspace are regularly compiled.

At the beginning of the new millennium, some Russian carriers actually had to abandon flights to Europe. The list of banned Russian airlines included such a giant as Ural Airlines (partially). Flights of old Kuban Airlines, Airlines 400 and some others aircraft were also banned. However, these were not sanctions from the European Union. The ban came from Rostransnadzor and Rosaviatsia. Currently, ships of all Russian companies can make voyages to Europe.

Most aircraft flying in Russia are no older than their counterparts used abroad. However, 17.7% of the aircraft fleet are old aircraft, many of which have reached the end of their service life 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 history Russian aviation. The day after the tragedy of the Kogalymavia (Metrojet) Airbus 321, which killed 224 people, Russian investigators opened two criminal cases under the articles “provision of services that do not meet safety requirements” and “violation of flight safety rules or preparation for them.” . Searches took place at the carrier's office, Domodedovo, and Samara airport, where the plane was refueling. State Duma deputies immediately came out in favor of banning the operation of aircraft over 15 years old (Airbus Kogalymavia was 18 years old) and revoking the licenses 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 from airlines and industry experts who argued that an airplane is not a machine and 20 years of operation is not such a long time for it.

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

What we thought

The basis was 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. We excluded from full list small aviation(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 transport - 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 fleet of the Air Force, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the special detachment for transporting top officials (SLO Rossiya), 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 accuracy of the data we collected. All responses were taken into account in the analysis results.

Our statistics also included aircraft from the second largest Russian airline, Transaero. was accepted 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 the lessors: several dozen cars can be received by Aeroflot, which received part of the airline’s routes, the rest will be sold on the market or written off. Taking into account the entire Transaero fleet in the sample (according to open data as of October, this is 122 aircraft), we were guided by the fact that most of it could go 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 do you choose?

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 737, the flights of which 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 classify vehicles with a flight range of over 2.5 thousand km into this category. Long-range vehicles in Russia are considered to be those with a flight range of more than 8 thousand km.

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

Two competing aircraft manufacturers provide most aircraft parks in the world. According to the international organization Center for Aviation (CAPA, Australia) for April 2013, of all aircraft operated in the world, 39.7% are Boeing aircraft and 28.7% are Airbus. Russia is no exception. Aircraft of the two companies occupy 61.7% Russian park,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 An, Tu and Yak, most of which flew in the USSR. "But in volume passenger transportation the share of these machines is less than 5%,” adds the professor at Moscow State Technical University civil aviation Alexander Fridland.

In terms of quantity, Sukhoi Superjet is the leader 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. - RBC),” says Friedland. According to him, for local and regional routes it is large, but on main routes with good passenger traffic it is inferior to economical cars by 150-200 seats. “His niche is mainline, but weak in flow directions,” the interlocutor believes.

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

Of the Soviet aircraft, the An-24 is the largest in the airline fleet - 67 aircraft. A turboprop passenger aircraft for short and medium-haul routes was developed by the Antonov Design Bureau (KB) in the late 1950s. Maximum capacity is up to 52 passengers. It is operated mainly by Russian regional companies (RBC considers such companies not to operate long-haul flights, flights through the capital's air hub and those not based in Moscow and St. Petersburg). “The An-24 is the only aircraft in the world of this class that lands on the ground, on compacted snow or on ice,” recalls the Honored Pilot of the USSR, President of the Infrastructure Development Fund air transport Oleg Smirnov. — He flew all over airspace USSR and in the current conditions on Far North practically irreplaceable."

Now the An-24 continues to be used by companies based in the north: Polar Airlines, Yakutia, Chukotavia. For now, it is impossible to replace it en masse with foreign models. Firstly, planes of foreign brands that could land at airfields in these regions accommodate fewer passengers, explains Kramarenko. In addition, technical documentation for them is available at English language, which is not owned by all An-24 pilots and personnel. However, during 2012-2013, Yakutia leased five Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft with a capacity of 70 to 80 seats. In addition to Bombardier, Aeroflot's subsidiary, the Far Eastern airline Aurora, flies Canadian De Havilland Canada 6 Twin Otter. Most likely, in the coming years, all An-24s will be replaced by foreign aircraft, “because they will exhaust their service life and it will become extremely difficult and expensive to maintain their airworthiness,” predicts Dmitry Mirgorodsky, partner of the consulting company Concuros, former vice-president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. There is no replacement for them with domestic analogues.

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 parts to be replaced, some will no longer fly into the air. The cars are part of the fleets of Gazpromavia, Grozny Avia, Izhavia, and Saratov Airlines. The latter company began flying Brazilian Embraer 190s two years ago.

How old are planes in Russia?

As the study showed, on average in Russia the age of foreign models is less than their service life, while our aircraft are often older. According to Andrey Sharypov, head of the civil aviation vessel certification department 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 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. Generations Boeing 737 Next Generation (modifications 600, 700, 800, 900) - 9.1 years. Airbus modifications 320 - 7.5 years, A319 - 11.9 years (see infographic). These figures are not significantly different from the world average. The Dutch airline KLM, according to planespotters.net, Boeing New Generation flies on average at the age of 9.3 years. The American low-cost airline Southwest Airlines, according to USA Today and the airfleets.net portal, is 9.7 years old. The Boeing 737 Classic aircraft (modifications 300, 400 and 500) of this airline are on average more than 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 a lifespan of 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 aircraft still in operation, the Yak-42, is 24.7 years.

Soviet aircraft and modern Russian ones (with the exception of Sukhoi Superjet), unlike foreign ones, have problems with parts. Mass production of such machines has been stopped, so you have to order components individually, which costs several times more, says Sergei Koval, deputy head of the monitoring and authentication department of the Civil Aviation Research Institute. As a result, parts with forged documents are sometimes installed on Soviet cars. According to Koval’s estimates, the market now contains up to 8% of illegal parts, and from 2001 to 2015, 50 serious incidents occurred due to problems with parts (incidents with airplanes and helicopters are taken into account).

What happened to Soviet design bureaus

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

The study found that 58.7% of aircraft in the Russian fleet had only one or two operators. And more than ten air carriers that replaced each other - only 3% of boards are in baggage. Moreover, in many cases, two of the same companies used aircraft in turns. This, for example, was the case with the Izhavia airline’s Yak-42: according to data from airfleets.net, if we take into account alternating carriers, it changed 20 operators in 28 and a half years. According to Smirnov, professionals are distrustful of an aircraft that has previously flown “in countries with high humidity, for example in Africa.” However, 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 life, according to a study by leasing company Avalon (offices in the USA, 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 aircraft, the oldest fleet—41.2 years—has the Turukhan company, part of the UTair group. It mainly operates custom flights, including for mining companies. But Turukhan also has regular transportation, therefore his aircraft were included in our study.

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

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

On April 1, 2001, regulations 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 planes 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 replace their old noisy machines with new imported ones.

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

There is also a significant difference between the average age of aircraft from different companies abroad. According to a 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 older aircraft, Mirgorodsky emphasizes. For example, purchasing a new Boeing 737-800 will cost approximately $48-55 million. The same ten-year-old 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. Not all companies can afford to pay such sums at a time - they have to lease the machines.In Russia, according to estimates by the company Ilyushin Finance Co., at least 80% of the aircraft in use are leased.

This is exactly what the largest market player, Aeroflot, is doing, intending 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, General Director Vitaly Savelyev has repeatedly said in his interviews. “It’s difficult to compete on the global market with an old aircraft,” Mirgorodsky explains the strategy. Aeroflot also gives older models to its subsidiaries - Aurora Airlines, Orenburg Airlines, Donavia, and Rossiya.

But many companies don’t even have enough money to lease new aircraft. Transaero, for example, dreamed of ousting a state-owned competitor due to expensive debt financing, as it itself admitted in its financial statements, was expanding its fleet with cheap foreign and new vehicles, Vedomosti wrote. After the devaluation of the ruble at the end of last year, leasing for Russian companies has become significantly more expensive, 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.

From month to month travel portal WORLD-S publishes to you information about the average age of the aircraft fleet Russian airlines, as well as statistical data on the increase/departure from the aircraft fleet, reasons. What changed in Russian aviation in April 2016 compared to March 2016?

To begin with, we consider highlighting some moments that occurred in global aviation in March and which directly affected us. The most tragic incident occurred on March 19, 2016. While approaching the Rostov-on-Don airport, a Boeing 737-800 of the Middle East carrier (low-cost airline) Dubai Fly, which was flying on a Dubai-Rostov-on-Don flight, crashed. There were 62 people on board (including the flight crew) - no one survived. All aircraft of the air carrier have a maximum service life of 5 years; there is no doubt about timely maintenance. Most likely, pilot fatigue and bad weather conditions could lead to control errors, because low-cost airlines are like taxis in the sky.

On March 20, 2016, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft of the Russian air carrier UTair (Moscow-Surgut flight) made emergency landing at the Moscow airport due to engine problems. The plane circled in the sky above the airport for two hours until it ran out of fuel. No one was injured on board (112 passengers).

On March 28, 2016, a Fokker-100 aircraft of Back Air (flight Kyzylorda - Astana) made an emergency landing at Astana airport. Problems occurred with the release of the front landing gear. The pilots landed the plane on its belly. Fortunately, no one was injured on board (116 passengers). The reason is clear, production of the Fokker 100 has long been discontinued. They are used in aviation by third world countries. The aircraft's service life exceeds 20 years. However, the airline uses 7 aircraft of this type. If we analyze the statistics of incidents with this model, this is not an isolated case when the landing gear release mechanism did not work.

Now let's move on to good news. Azerbaijan Airlines AZAL launched a new low-cost airline AzalJet in March, ticket prices will start from 49 euros including all taxes and fees.

Now we propose to study the table of statistics on changes in the average age of the fleet and the movement of aircraft in Russian airlines.

TABLE: IN Age of aircraft in Russian airline fleets as of April 12, 2016

№

Carrier name

Average Age of Aircraft Years (March 2016)

Number in park (March 2016)

Average Age of Aircraft Years (April 2016)

Number in the park (April 2016)

Statistics of changes in the fleet

15,5

15,6

S7 increased its fleet by 6 units (Boeing 737-800 purchase of six aircraft from UTair with terms not exceeding 2.6 years), which led to a decrease in the average age of the fleet. Why UTair sold its newest aircraft is a question of falling demand for certain destinations.

Yamal increased the fleet by one Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR aircraft, purchased under lease from UTair airlines express with a period of 1.8 years.

Based on the above, important changes have occurred in Russian aviation over the past month. Now, instead of three Russian airlines, there is one. The management plans that it will take second place in air transportation. UTair is selling its aircraft, unable to bear the costs of leasing payments due to the decline in demand for certain destinations.