Airline aircraft data. Does the age of aircraft affect their reliability? How

According to numerous surveys of air passengers, it became known that people prefer to fly on new airliners. That's why most Russian airlines purchases modern aircraft of domestic and foreign production, which not only replenish their fleet, but also displace old models of the times Soviet Union.

Which airlines are renewing their aircraft fleet?

To attract passengers, each airline tries to constantly update its fleet aircraft by purchasing new comfortable aircraft.

Air carrier S7

This Russian company has new A320neo airliners, which it acquired from Airbus. In total, the air carrier's fleet was replenished with 20 aircraft of this family, which began production only 3 years ago.

These airliners received new, efficient engines, which significantly increased their flight range and load capacity. When purchasing such vessels, airlines can choose models with 2 types of engines - European and American. The basic model A320neo, which can carry from 150 to 180 passengers, covers a distance of 6,800 km, and is therefore used for international air travel.

It should also be noted that S7 was one of the first in the Russian Federation to receive 2 Boeing 737 Max8, but stopped producing them on the line after different countries There have been 2 large-scale plane crashes around the world involving these ships.

Passengers who choose this carrier can see which aircraft they will be traveling on when booking their tickets.

Ural Airlines Company

This company has several A320neo aircraft and just one A321neo, but it never shows its customers which model of aircraft they will be flying on, because... This information is not indicated on the tickets.

The A321neo aircraft of the A320 family have a slightly elongated fuselage and can carry from 150 to 180 people over long distances (up to 6800 km). They are mainly used for international flights, but 1 airliner operates on the Moscow – Blagoveshchensk route.

Aeroflot company

The average age of the ships in this company's fleet is 5 years, but it has not yet acquired any new aircraft. This year, Aeroflot management plans to buy a large, long-haul airliner, the Airbus A350, which will operate international flights.

This aircraft received a new wide fuselage, efficient engines and flight stabilizers. In addition, passengers will see a new beautiful cabin, in which 9 seats are located in the 1st row. This arrangement will be convenient for those passengers who travel in large groups and want to sit close to each other during the flight.

Air carrier "Aurora"

This is a subsidiary of Aeroflot, whose aircraft mainly fly in the Far East. There are no a large number of new aircraft, but among them are the Airbus A319, as well as the Bombardier Dash series.

The Airbus A319 is a shortened version of the A320, with a flight range of 6,800 km at maximum load. The economy class cabin can accommodate 156 people, and the business class cabin can accommodate 124 passengers.

Pobeda Company

This air carrier boasts its new fleet of aircraft, the average age of which does not exceed 3 years. It includes fairly new narrow-body airliners Boeing 737-800, which this moment have already been removed from the production line.

The aircraft cabin has 189 seats for economy class passengers and 160 for business class clients. At maximum load, it can cover a distance of 5,400 km, so it is used both for domestic flights and for international communications.

The company will soon receive new and improved Boeing 737MAX aircraft:

1. The 737MAX 7 will be able to carry from 130 to 170 people over a distance of 700 km.
2. The 737MAX 8 model with a flight range of 6,500 km is designed for 160-200 passengers.
3. Model 737MAX 9 with a stretched fuselage and a flight range of 6,500 km. Can take on board from 180 to 200 people.
4. The 737MAX 10 is the airliner with the longest fuselage. Accommodates 230 people. The aircraft is capable of delivering passengers to a destination located 6,000 km from the point of departure.

Air carrier "Azimuth"

The fleet is dominated by new Sukhoi Superjet-100 aircraft. This is the first airliner that was developed by Russian designers after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the first passenger aircraft created using innovative digital technologies. The development of the vessel was carried out by a subsidiary of the Sukhoi aviation concern - “ Civil aircraft Sukhoi."

These vehicles are designed to transport a small number of people over a distance of 3,000 to 4,500 km.

Air carrier Azur Air

He makes international charter flights from Russia to various resort destinations. The fleet of this company consists mainly of aircraft of the American company Boeing, the newest of which are:

1. The 737-900 can carry from 189 to 215 passengers over a distance of 5,900 km.
2. Model 757-200 with a flight range of 5,550 km, 224 seats in economy class and 201 in business class.
3. The 767-300, with 328 seats in economy class and 269 seats in business class, has a range of 9,700 km.
4. The 777-300 can carry up to 550 passengers in economy class and 479 passengers in business class over a range of 11,000 km at maximum load.

The rest are large Russian air carriers cannot boast of new comfortable airliners, because... their fleet consists mainly of older An-24 models, with an average age of 25-30 years. In the future, they plan to purchase new aircraft of domestic and foreign production, which will replace Soviet aircraft that have expired their service life.

Numerous surveys of airline passengers indicate that people enjoy flying on brand new airliners. We were interested in which Russian companies have the most modern aircraft, and found out the following.

First of all, let's figure out how the newness of an aircraft fleet is determined. One way is to compare the average age of airline fleets, but it is more interesting to look at the number of new aircraft for each air carrier.

S7

The well-known Russian company took a fancy to the A320neo family and purchased 20 aircraft of this series from Airbus. The model came off the assembly line only 3 years ago, so becoming the owner of two dozen brand new Neos is considered prestigious. In general, S7 loves to purchase modern aircraft: it was once the first in Russia to receive two copies of the then-fresh Boeing 737 Max 8, but stopped releasing them into the air after two accidents of ships of this type that occurred in different countries.

Already at the stage of booking an S7 ticket, you can determine which airliner you will fly on: the information is visible on the website.

Quiz: find out the airline by the plane. 10 questions for experts:

"Ural Airlines"

This airline is also the proud owner of several A320neo and one A321neo, but they can be counted on one hand.

“Urals” does not show the type of aircraft when purchasing air tickets: a flight on the latest model becomes a surprise before landing. True, several routes are served only by Neo, one of them is Moscow - Blagoveshchensk.

Other airlines

The average age of Aeroflot's fleet is only 5 years (this is considered a little), and it has not yet purchased new types of airliners. This year, deliveries of the long-haul Airbus A350 are planned, which will fly on foreign routes.

Pobeda has one of the freshest fleets (average age less than 3 years), it consists of modern, but no longer in production Boeing 737-800. Maxas have already been ordered to replace this model, but so far their deliveries have been delayed.

Azimuth flies on Superjet series aircraft, and its fleet is quite young. The remaining major domestic air carriers cannot boast of modern aircraft.

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 taken Air Canada and United Airlines, the average age of aircraft is 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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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 is Pulkovo Airport, and the hub in Moscow is Vnukovo Airport. 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 that Rossiya Airlines currently has, almost all of them are age 9-12 years.

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

Main characteristics of Rossiya aircraft.

The largest 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. The company name is indicated at the nose of the aircraft - “Russia”.

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.