Aeroflot's Boeing 767
Seattle, WA -- Aeroflot is the biggest Russian airline, dating back to the days of the Soviet Union when it used to be a state monopoly. Today things are different, and Aeroflot must compete in the Russian market and internationally as well. This is why Americans and foreigners residing in Oregon and Washington recently saw their favorite direct flight between Seattle-Moscow cancelled. This route will not re-open until Summer 2008.
Flights inside Russia are still done using old Russian jets like Ilyushin and Tupolev. The planes are loud, uncomfortable and they aren't allowed in European and American airports because of their noise levels. While noise levels are the official reason, the real one might be the issue of safety. Soviet-era planes simply aren't safe to fly. There are many stories you could hear from old-time American travelers who took flights to Russia on Soviet aircraft.
However, Aeoroflot's Seattle office commented on this article saying that "If you look close into Aeroflot's history, you'll be surprised to find that Aeroflot was and still is one of the safest airlines in the world (there are many other Russian airlines currently operating in Russia, please don't mix them up with Aeroflot)."
However, today's international Aeroflot operations are a different story. The planes are always brand new 767s or 777s leased directly from Boeing. On these aircraft Aeroflot's service is superior, and the staff serves several hearty meals, with free drinks.
My mother is coming to visit me from Moscow in May, so I decided to do some research to answer a question asked by thousands of Russians, Ukrainians and...Indians. Why did Aeroflot stop flying between Seattle and Moscow? A few seconds into my call I was talking to the president of the Aeroflot office in Seattle, Gennady Mikhailovich Tavlintsev. Mr. Tavlintsev welcomed my questions, and openly stated that "Aeroflot has never made money off the Seattle flight. It was maintained only for the purpose of the company's image."
Tavlinstsev said that "Aeroflot isn't subsidized by the government any more, and it simply cannot afford flying into Seattle. Government taxes are very high for foreign-leased aircraft, and it's not permitted to fly Ilyushins to America. The Boeing jet that used to fly to Seattle is serving Asian routes these days. The distances are half of the trip to Seattle, the airport taxes are cheaper, but Aeroflot can charge the same ticket prices. You do the math..."
Tavlinstev said that Aeroflot will save up some money, and hopefully will re-start flights to Seattle in the summer 2007. "They left the office here and all the staff, so that's a good sign!"
Ukrainian and Russian love for the Seattle flight is easy to explain; there's a huge Russian and Ukrainian community both in Oregon and Washington. But Indians also had there own reasons to love the flight. Aeroflot operates direct flights from Moscow to Delhi. Two direct flights conducted by the same company and supported by excellent service with two hot meals served on each flight, with free wine, beer and liquor, multiple snacks, decent in-flight Hollywood movies, and inexpensive airfare -- that's hard to beat. My mom was very surprised that her Delta flight from Moscow to New York offers only a cold lunch, and the New York to Seattle leg, only peanuts. Not a lot for a 22 hour commute!
If you ever decide to fly two different companies, I wouldn't recommend doing it. The danger of arriving several hours late from abroad is very high. Once you've missed your other flight, it's hard to find the guilty party. A one day layover and hassles getting reimbursed are practically guaranteed.
Aeroflot's Boeing 777
IL-96
TU-154
How ironic that the location where Boeing jets are built has
cost-prohibitive taxes impeding its own jets' participation in the global economy and transportation of a large local population.
Tanya,
It is not WA state taxes Aeroflot rep is talking about. It is Russian taxes that Russian government imposes on imported goods, like aircraft.
It's nice to see that Aeroflot has gone away from the hammer & sickle Soviet era logo.
I remember when the USSR broke up, one would see Aeroflot jets with a primitively painted Russian flag over a faded Soviet flag.
Other Aeroflot jets would have the Soviet Aeroflot logo with "Air Ukraine" scripted on the bottom front.
Saying that soviet built aircraft may not be as safe as western built aircraft is simply not true. The safety of aircraft almost completely depends on maintenance and pilot training. Soviet and Russian built aircraft now have safety records that are simular to many western aircraft. If any Airbus or Boeing aircraft were poorly maintained, they would have terrible safety records. The IL-96 for example has had no crashes at all. I do not feel less safe on a Soviet/Russian aircraft as long as I know that it has been well maintained.
> Flights inside Russia are still done using
> old Russian jets like Ilyushin and Tupolev.
I would choose Ilyushin or Tupolev over Boeing any day. Good, reliable and affordable planes. And, don't forget, making Ilyushin/Tupolev planes provides tens of thousands of Russian jobs.
It would be interesting to see how Aeroflot is going to fly those Boeings they bought when US cuts the spare parts supply, as it happened in Iran, for example.
While the majority of Yuri's comments on Aeroflot are accurate, I see the same echoed unsubstantiated negative comments that are a curse for all Russian made products. It is true that almost all Russian made aeroplane engines cannot currently meet EUR noise standards, but their main problem remains fuel efficiency.
The issue of safety as the Aeroflot executive explained, is simply not substantiated by the empirical evidence.
While their maintenance regimes are not state of the art, Aeroflot's dedication of manhours to inspection and maintenance of aircraft likely exceeds those of their Western cmpetitors. Again, this is another economic problem that will be reduced when more modern maintenance measures are more wide spread.
The final misguided line is the comfort. I fly Russian aircraft all the time. While many are in need of cosmetic modernization, and could use some advances in passenger comfort like headphones and finer pressure controls (you often have to pop your ears), Aeroflot still has not realized that they could sell 12 more tickets on every flight if all their passengers were double amputees! I was on a Yak-42D earlier this week and even that aged aircraft offered ample space for my legs. Imagine the difference in comfort when you are talking a 22 hour flight versus a 4 hour flight.
The Russian Aerospace industry is very sick at the moment but I would not count them out yet. My prediction is that within 10-15 years, we will see aircraft with significant portions of the planes coming from Russia.
They may say Boeing, they may say Ilushin, or they may be an entirely new brand but they will be there in the years to come.
MO
doesn't fly to Lisbon (Portugal)...
Re: Kim's last post
More like overly bombastic individuals who are unable to liberate themselves from biased propaganda.
I'll reply to one point (the others are absurd, but my time right now is limited).
Over the past ten years, the average life expectancy in Russia has risen by a few years.
In Soviet times, life expectancy in Russia reached a level to what was then evident in Western countries.
Thert's no reason to not believe that Russia's life expectancy will rise.
Especially when Russians see how the likes of yours truly live (no smoking and a half hour to 2 hours reserved each day for exercise).
Not at all.
On the life span issue, there's no valid reason to disbelieve that Russia can't reach what was evident during a period during the Soviet era when Soviet life expectancy matched what was found in the West.
My "forefathers" always thought of themselves as Russians and not as being Soviet.
Folks, we're depreciating a bit here.
Kim repeats a standard line without directly addressing fact based points.
Kim is the one being very Soviet like.
Kim is so bad that Brzezinski would probably oppose Kim's rants.
Yes, over the past ten years the Russian average life expectancy has risen in a proportionately higher number than in the US.
This kind of a statistic can dramtically change in one way or another in a relatively short period of time.
I reference the drop in average life expectancy in Zaire as a case in point.
Kim is a waste of time Mishka.
Hi,
I am non Russian non American guy who reads your
conversation. I have never been in Rüssia or Ukraine or in any CIS, but I am preparing to travel to St.Peterburg next summer.
I am with Kim in this dispute. Russias life expectancy is rising far faster as in all Europe or former SU states. I am reading a lot of articles about Russia´s economy and political life for almost 7 years. And I must say that life expectancy is rissing, just see increase of new born children from year to year. New generation in my age (26) is beginning to catch the life. Of course there prevail mortality to natality but Russia has good path. This is good indicator, proof that life in Russia is going to be better. Just look to GDP growth over the other states. I know Russia was in big depresion over 10 years but since 2000 it is rocketing up.... just look at the foreigner company hurry to open their´s assembly plant for cars. Russian are getting more money each year....
I personally don't mind living a shorter but much fuller life in Russia.
Who needs extra ten years of boring life around obese women who can't even cook. I'd rather socialize with my friends on daily basis and enjoy their company, then systematically post hate comments on the website - Kim. Moscow is a beautiful city where you can find anything to your likings 24 hours a day. Concerts, over a hundred of theaters, ballet, museums, etc. What is there to do in Seattle besides websurfing at Starbucks - Fifth Avenue and Benaroya with their poor venues. That's it! So, you can type your hate mail for extra ten years of your so-called life if you like Kim, but I suggest you get outside of your computer room every now and then.
Wow! Somebody posts an honest answer about why the Seattle Moscow flight was cancelled (he is correct but it may be restored as early as November 2006) and somebody comes out of the woodwork to bash everything Russian. I'm an American who lives and works there about half the year. I have a Russian wife. Things are still a little tough over there, especially out in the provinces (where I live) but getting better every day. I wouldn't be surprised if Russia catches and passes the US in a few years. As for the comments about "repression" in Russia, I find it refreshing that they are not hung up on "political correctness" as the US is. When I'm through working, it will be my permanent home. You can have the US with it's women's lib, gay rights, illegal aliens rights and all the rest of that garbage.
Russia is one of the best kept secrets in the world. It remains that way because of short sighted, narrow minded people such as Kim. Don't waste your words on her, just smile and think of St. Petersburg. Oh, I'm an American who had the pleasure of visiting Russia on several occasions and marrying a Russian.
I have been in Russia in 2000 Russian people are open and nice .I pray everyday for Russia that our Lord Jesus bless Russia and it will happen soon within 5-6 years Russia s condition will be better .Everything is possible for God if Russia belive .Beatrice
My first trip to Moscow was in 2003. My final destination was Novosibirsk. I flew from Calgary, AB Canada to Vancouver, BC. Then on to Seattle. Aeroflot was flying Boeing 777's at this time. The trip was an absolute thrill. The flight crew was very professional AND funny. I can't wait for the SEA-SVO trip to start again.