Airline History Blog - YESTERDAY'S AIRLINES

Candid About the Camber: Aeroflot's IL-86 Airbus

29/10/2022

The Ilyushin IL-86 'Camber' encapsulates a big chunk of what was wrong with the Soviet Union, but also some of the things they did well. By the 1980s when it entered service, it was obsolete. Its development was protracted, its service entry late, its performance anaemic and its production far too prolonged and slow. However despite this it had many unique features, which adapted it to Russian operations well, was solid, strong, reliable and very safe.

Birch Tree: Samara Airlines

25/5/2021

The 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union produced a dazzling array of new airlines, many of which were poorly run and organised. Some however acquired classy images, and became important well-run airlines. Samara Airlines was one of the latter, whose involvement with Russia's first airline alliance would contribute to its eventual failure.

Obscure Russians 2: Transeuropean Airlines

26/11/2020

During the mid-late 1990s there was a wide variety of rather obscure airlines being formed within Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Aeroflot's iron grip on civil aviation duties. Some never acquired much in the way of their own identities however even some that did, like Transeuropean, appeared and disappeared quickly leaving little evidence of themselves.

767s in Russia Pt1: Transaero

17/6/2016

Transaero's operation of DC-10s was most probably a short term fix to enable the startup of long-haul routes, the type's choice assisted by the aircraft having come from a US operator (no doubt helpful in getting permission for the flights at a time when Russian airlines were not held in high regard). Though more efficient than the IL-86 the DC-10s were showing their age by the late 90s and given Transaero's affinity for Boeing products it was no surprise that the 767 would be chosen as the airline's medium widebody type into the 2000s.

Discover New Worlds: Nordwind Airlines

26/5/2016

Russians love to get away from the cold to hotspots in the Med and Asia and many Russian airlines have made a tenuous living on such flights. One of the latest is Nordwind, which reported fabulous growth in its first 6 years but, as with its competitors, has been damaged by the recent Russian economic crisis. Still Nordwind seems to be a survivor, no doubt helped by Transaeros exit.

Aeroflot's Retro Fantasy

23/5/2016

As repeat readers probably know I research the history of each model that joins my collection and the results often appear on the blog as formative elements within the postings. A recent acquisition via Waffle's huge collection sale was a lovely Aeroflot A320 in retro colours, but in this case my research shows there is more than meets the eye. Though Aeroflot did indeed create a retrojet its relation to the model is tenuous.

Looking West: Transaero in the 90s

29/4/2016

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the various Aeroflot directorates splintered into a diverse array of obscure airlines operating the fragments of the Aeroflot fleet. One airline however started fresh becoming the first truly new scheduled airline in Russia. This was Transaero which would grow into one of the most important and respected airlines in the country with an unusually modern fleet and a fresh image.

Far Eastern Lights: Aurora Airlines

15/3/2016

In the past 16 years Aeroflot has gone from predominantly an international airline to by far the biggest domestic operator in Russia. This consolidation has been enabled by government legislation and support, whilst the periodic crises in the Russian economy have done away with competitors like Kras Air and Transaero. The larger Aeroflot Group continues to consolidate its brands and one of the newest is Aurora Airlines taking over the legacy of SAT and Vladivostok Avia.

Russian Jumbos: Transaero's 747s

13/1/2016

Russian airlines have since the end of the Soviet Union created a lucrative business shuttling tourists to hotspots in Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt and Thailand, often using high density seating aboard the largest Soviet types available like the Il-62 and Il-86. The increasing obsolescence of ex-Soviet aircraft has however seen a transition towards Western built aircraft. Transaero made by far the largest move into this market in the 2000s when it began to acquire a substantial fleet of second-hand Boeings including Russia's first 747s.

KrasAir: Failed Union

24/12/2015

KrasAir (Krasnoyarsk Airlines or Krasnoyarskiye avialinii) was formed from the two Krasnoyarsk elements of the local Aeroflot CAD to become one of the largest airlines in Russia in the mid-2000s. Led by the Abramovich brothers it bravely attempted to combine multiple Russian airlines together into a major new force, but as with many other airlines found itself unable to cope with the severity of the economic crisis that hit Russia in 2008.

Aeroflot's Russian Bear-Buses

13/11/2015

Aeroflot's ability to renew its Soviet-era fleet was hampered by the fragile Russian economic situation, a lack of suitable Russian made aircraft, taxes on purchasing foreign aircraft and the airline's own unstable progress during the 1990s. Despite all these issues the Russian flag carrier has found its way to operating a modern fleet.

Aeroflot Goes West Pt2: Sixth Freedom Freighter

20/9/2015

Aeroflot had long taken the opportunity to exploit Russia's vast geographic advantage to operate sixth freedom passenger flights able to offer shorter services connecting Europe to Asia using Moscow as a connection point. The same was true of cargo flights which during the Soviet era utilised the Ilyushin IL-76. The IL-76s would continue to operate these services but would be joined by a Cold War era Western type, eventually at the expense of new Russian equipment.

Aeroflot Goes West Pt1: Double-Eagle A310s

19/9/2015

Glasnost and Perestroika signalled seismic changes in super power relations but also in the market conditions that faced Eastern-bloc airlines. Soviet types were rugged and effective but had not been designed in an atmosphere where cost effectiveness was a primary concern, whilst Soviet engineering was decades behind the West. In terms of operating costs no Russian type, until perhaps the Superjet, has been able to rival those of comparable Western jets. The sudden need for profitability led even Aeroflot itself towards Western equipment choices despite pressures to buy homegrown.

Aeroflot's Global Classic: IL-62s 1967-2001

20/8/2015

The giant TU-114 had shown Aeroflot's ambitions for long-haul services however it was the four-engined jet Ilyushin IL-62 (NATO reporting name Classic) that cemented Aeroflot's position as a global airline. Often unfairly called a VC10 copy the IL-62 was very much its own aircraft and enabled the Soviet Union to show its flag from Tokyo to Washington well into the 1990s.

Domodedovo Airlines: Ilyushin Union

30/7/2015

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union Aeroflot splintered into a collection of separate airlines, often allied to their home airports. Domodedovo Airlines started out as part of the same organisation that ran Moscow Domodedovo airport but grew into a major carrier, which together with Kras Air fought for second place in the Russian market. Unfortunately the turbulent economic nature of the country meant that it never quite achieved its goal.