What do you need to know about Russia Airlines aircraft? Modern aircraft of Russian airlines The youngest fleet of aircraft in the world.

Information about each airline often contains figures about the age of the fleet. These are numbers indicating the year of manufacture of the aircraft. Quite an abstract concept. After all, an airplane can fly day and night, staying at least at airports. And another plane will fly only occasionally, for a longer period of time, lying idle. Serving corporate events, or sometimes charter flights.

Each aircraft, be it a small two-seater Cessna 150, or a huge Boeing 747, has a form maintained by aircraft engineers of the operating company. It records all the hours in full. ground work aircraft engines and airframe, and flight hours. Engines are included in a separate article; their ground and flight hours are recorded separately. Since the operating hours of the engine are determined by the companies producing this type. Each engine has a service life, expressed in hours of practical operation, summed up from ground and flight work. At the end of this number of hours, the engine must be sent either for disposal or for complete repair at the manufacturer, with a service life extension.

A very common practice of leasing aircraft involves renting an aircraft from a certain airline, which also sometimes took what is called “rented” aircraft, with their subsequent purchase. That is, it turns out that one company exploited the aircraft to its fullest, squeezing everything it could out of them, and then, having the opportunity to renew its fleet, sells such an aircraft, with the remaining service life, to another company. So planes can change through three or four owners, each of whom drives them wherever possible. In this case, the year of manufacture of the vessel is of great importance. Because, having passed through the hands of charter operators, the aircraft is more than 100% worn out. Of course, there are inter-resource routine maintenance work, there is heavy routine maintenance work, there are also hourly RR work, all of them help to identify breakdowns, malfunctions and wear and tear of the aircraft, both the airframe, engines and equipment. In all types of RR (routine work), it is clearly and unambiguously stated what types of work should be carried out when the operating time is 50, 100, 500, etc. hours. After completing all types of PP, the people performing the work and the people monitoring the implementation and progress of this work are signed in the form. And even if the aircraft was laid up, that is, did not fly at all, RR must be carried out in accordance with the operating rules of the aircraft.

But given that aircraft used for commercial purposes, that is, on scheduled or charter flights, are idle little, the age of the aircraft acquires one of the decisive characteristics of safety and accident-free flights.

Why such a long preface, I’ll explain. The air transportation services market, and in particular the cost of air tickets, is very strictly subject to the tax and legal components. And the airlines themselves receive minimal profits, sometimes balancing on the brink of breakeven. Leasing, airport, tax fees, maintenance of personnel, flight and technical, fuel, payment for ANI (aeronautical information), all this “eats up” most arrived. Large airlines have another expense item, the maintenance of clearly unprofitable routes. Due to a number of political or economic considerations, such companies support unprofitable routes at the expense of profitable and seasonal flights.

It turns out that the only way out to save money for any airline carrier, finding a balance between flight safety and aircraft maintenance. Therefore buying enough cheap ticket, for this or that flight, we must think about what caused such a cost.

It is highly recommended that before purchasing tickets, you familiarize yourself with the airline that will serve you. And in particular, find out the average age of aircraft. For example, Transaero has a fleet whose average aircraft age is 15.5 years. VIM-Avia has this figure, on average 21 years. And the airline "Tomskavia" is 27.2 years old!

Every year, reputable interstate bodies publish, along with other ratings, age rating aircraft of airlines around the world. A very interesting document! This rating is divided into three color zones:

• Aircraft whose age is up to 10 years. Green sector.
• Orange sector, from 10 to 15 years.
• And finally, the red sector, aircraft whose age is over 15 years.

Sometimes it would be a good idea for ordinary passengers to familiarize themselves with this list. A lot of interesting information can be learned from this rating.

4 Russian airlines are in the top hundred. "" is among the twenty "leaders". And the famous German Lufthansa has been in the “orange zone” for a long time, adjacent to many American, Canadian and even Israeli companies.

Surely, many have used Rossiya Airlines flights. But what kind of airline is “Russia”? How did it appear and who is the owner? This is a subsidiary. She has been there since November 16, 2011. Its fleet is not very large, however, it presents quite a wide variety.

Being one of the largest, its passenger traffic increases from year to year. In 2015 alone, about 4.7 million people were transported. The hub in is Pulkovo Airport, and in Moscow - Vnukovo. Simferopol Airport is also an additional hub.

Initially it was the Pulkovo company. It was reorganized into “Russia” October 9, 2006. After that, after 5 years, it became part of Aeroflot.

Previously it included Special flying unit “Russia”. This is an airline that transports exclusively top Russian officials. But then she came out of it, becoming an independent enterprise.

Stewardesses of the Rossiya company.

Not long ago it also included Orenburg Airlines and Donavia. The company's policy is to primarily satisfy the needs of the average consumer. Now the company almost 74 aircraft.

Continuing to remain part of the Aeroflot company, it operates all flights under the Aeroflot name. Also included in the Aeroflot Bonus system. You can read about what it is in.

Today the company operates flights to 25 Russian cities and the same number of points around the world. Also collaborates with football club“Zenith”, with whom they have signed an agreement.

Air fleet of the company “Russia”

As noted above, the company's fleet consists of almost 74 airliners. Of the aircraft Rossiya Airlines currently has, almost all of them are age 9-12 years.

You can see photos of Rossiya company aircraft below. Most of them were purchased from other airlines.

Main characteristics of Rossiya aircraft.

The most a large number of aircraft from is Airbus A319-100. In total there are 26 models, of which 10 belonged to Donavia.

One of them painted in the signature colors of the Zenit football team. In October 2014, a special competition for the best design was held. It was won by Sergei Skrebnev. According to his sketches, in Holland, the plane was painted in new colors.

From Airbuses the company has 5 more Airbus A320-200. All 5 aircraft belonged to the company from the very beginning.

Almost 30 other aircraft are Boeings. 15 Boeing 737-800 models, which previously belonged to Orenburg Airlines.

From the same company - 1 Boeing 777-200. After the bankruptcy of Transaero, the fleet was replenished 9 Boeing 747-400 and 5 Boeing 777-300. Some of them were registered in Ireland, and some in Bermuda.

Until April 9, 2015, “Russia” still had 3 Boeing 767-300, as well as an AN-148, but following its anti-crisis program, the company abandoned them.

Boeing 777-300ER.

It was also ordered - 5 Boeing 777-300ER, which previously belonged to Emirates airlines and 20 more Sukhoi Superjet 100.

They were planned to be transferred to Aeroflot, but then the decision was changed in favor of Russia.

Sukhoi SuperJet 100.

New design

The planes, previously owned by the Orenburg Airlines and Donavia companies, still have to undergo repainting in new company colors, according to a completely new design. Some Airbuses and Boeings have already been designed in this vein.

The fuselage is bright red, then seems to split into small geometric shapes towards the wings.

By the way, real small wings are drawn behind them. At the nose aircraft The company name is indicated - “Russia”.

Often, when news appears about problems on airplanes, their age and supposedly poor condition as a result are mentioned. However, in reality one is not related to the other.

In July, a Boeing 737 owned by Jet2 flew two emergency landings For two weeks. The plane was forced to land in Barcelona on July 16 as it flew from Ibiza to Leeds. Twelve days later, on July 28, he made another emergency landing in Frankfurt en route from Newcastle to Prague. The airline is investigating both incidents but says passengers were not at risk on either flight.

However, commentators were quick to point out the age of the aircraft, registered as G-CELI: it was built in 1986, 31 years ago. But do older planes really fail more often?

No, says Patrick Smith, an American pilot and author of the book “The Commander Speaks. Questions, answers and observations from an experienced pilot."

“Commercial aircraft are built to last more or less indefinitely, which is one of the reasons they are so expensive,” he commented. “It’s normal for an aircraft to remain in service for 25 years or more.”

Smith says the longer planes operate, the more scrutiny they come under. “Inspection criteria are becoming more stringent,” says Smith.

But if airplanes are built to last indefinitely, why do they retire after 30-plus years, or in many cases sooner?

Aircraft are sold, traded or mothballed not because they are old and falling apart, but because they are no longer fuel-efficient enough to operate, Smith said.

“Airplanes are tailored to specific roles and markets, and there is a delicate balance between whether they make a profit or a loss. Poor performance means quick entry into the sales block, says Smith. “For another carrier with different costs, routes and needs, the same aircraft could be profitable.”

The declining economic value of an aircraft is typically due to its age, as well as new high-performance aircraft entering the market. Supporting older jets often makes less and less sense. The new planes are quieter, more comfortable and better equipped than their predecessors, and as a result, they are more comfortable for passengers.

So which carriers have the oldest planes? According to airfleets.net, a website that collects information on most major airlines, Delta Airlines has the oldest planes among the world's largest carriers. The average age of its aircraft is 17 years. Second and third places are occupied by Air Canada and United Airlines, with average aircraft ages of 14.2 and 14.1 years, respectively.

Oddly enough, Aeroflot has the latest planes. On average, they are used for only 4.2 years. Hainan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have the second and third youngest aircraft, with average ages of 4.9 and 5.3 years, respectively.

The data provided is approximate and does not cover all airlines, including Turkish Airlines, which is considered one of the largest in the world.

The largest airlines with the oldest aircraft

• Delta Airlines - 17 years
• Air Canada - 14.2 years
• United Airlines - 14.1 years
• British Airways - 13.2 years
• Air France - 12.6 years
• Lufthansa - 11.5 years
• Southwest Airlines - 11.5 years
• KLM - 10.7 years
• American Airlines - 10.3 years
• Qantas - 9.7 years
• Thai Airways - 9.6 years
• All Nippon Airways - 9.4 years
• JetBlue Airways - 9.3 years
• Korean Air - 9.2 years
• Japan Airlines - 8.7 years
• LATAM Brazil - 8.1 years
• Singapore Airlines - 8.1 years
• Cathay Pacific - 7.7 years
• EasyJet (UK) - 7.2 years
• China Southern Airlines - 6.9 years
• Ryanair - 6.5 years
• Air China - 6.3 years
• Etihad - 6.1 years
• Qatar Airways - 6.1 years
• Saudi Arabian Airlines - 5.9 years
• Emirates - 5.4 years
• China Eastern Airlines - 5.3 years
• Hainan Airlines - 4.9 years
• Aeroflot - 4.2 years
• Turkish Airlines - No data available

With a few exceptions like low-cost carriers Ryanair and EasyJet, European and North American airlines tend to have the oldest aircraft, while Asian and Middle Eastern carriers boast the newest.

By the way, Jet2, whose aircraft was discussed at the beginning of the article, is not one of the 30 largest airlines in the world, but has aircraft that are 16.8 years old. That is, the company could take one of the first places in the ranking.

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The venerable age of aircraft is one of the most common versions of plane crashes. However, experts argue that there is simply no such thing as an “old aircraft”, since civil aircraft are designed to last 25-30 years. Moreover, both new and “old” aircraft have completely identical flight performance and economic characteristics.

Throughout their service life, aircraft constantly undergo maintenance procedures, repairs and large-scale upgrades of operating systems.

After passing all the necessary procedures, even old aircraft approved for operation have completely functional systems. At the same time, they are practically no different from aircraft that have just rolled off the factory assembly line. For reference: the Russian airworthiness maintenance system is considered one of the most stringent and uncompromising technical control systems in the world.

The replacement of older aircraft is carried out by carriers in order to keep costs to a minimum. Modern aircraft use less fuel, require less maintenance and look more attractive. Airliners that are between 12 and 17 years old are considered to be of the highest quality, since it is at this age that they acquire the best operating conditions.

Dangerous age of aircraft

According to international standards, the aircraft can be safely used for 30, 40 and even 50 years. However, most experts recommend refraining from further purchasing used aircraft, since their equipment and systems may be in poor condition if they are not properly maintained and maintained.

Each type of aircraft has a service life limit - they can be guaranteed to be 60 thousand flight hours and 12 thousand successful landings.

Thus, dangerous planes can be considered airliners that have been flying for more than 30 years, but they have their own, very important feature. An aircraft cannot be young or old - its unsuitability is determined solely by its service life. In this regard, you can even fly on an old airliner, the resource of which is constantly updated by the air carrier.