Russia: aircraft and routesRussia: aircraft and routes

History and development

The history of "Russia" is counted from the Leningrad airline, created in 1934. St. Petersburg and Pulkovo Airport remain an important part of its history, and the airline itself is part of the Aeroflot group.

The modern brand grew out of the Pulkovo airline, which received the name Rossiya in 2006. In 2016, the company significantly expanded its flight program and park, preserving St. Petersburg as the main historical center.

As an independent legal entity, Pulkovo Airlines appeared in 1992. Later it was merged with the state transport company, and in 2011 Rossiya became part of the Aeroflot group.

In the history of Russia, it is important not to mix several organizations with similar names. A separate airline Pulkovo was formed in 1992 on the basis of Leningrad aviation, and the state transport company Rossiya was a different structure. After their unification, the brand received its current appearance; a special flight detachment for the transportation of first persons was later allocated to a separate organization.

The transition to the Aeroflot group changed the scale of Russia. After corporatization in 2011 and combining flight programs in 2016, the company received not only new directions, but also a more diverse fleet. At the same time, the historical connection with St. Petersburg has remained, so the story of the carrier cannot be reduced only to the group’s Moscow flights.

Milestones

• 1934: The Leningrad Air Force was created for the line to Moscow, the historical predecessor of the St. Petersburg carrier.
• 1992: Pulkovo Airlines was formed as a separate legal entity.
• 2005-2006: the airport was separated from the enterprise, and the flight part began to operate under the name Rossiya.
• 2011: The airline was incorporated and joined the Aeroflot group.
• 2016: Donavia and Orenburg Airlines combined under the Rossiya brand, increasing the fleet and network.

Route networks

The connection with St. Petersburg distinguishes Russia within the Aeroflot group. Together with flights from Pulkovo, the company operates flights through the Moscow air hub, so its aircraft are found both on domestic and international routes.

On part of the routes, tickets are sold through Aeroflot, although the aircraft and crew are provided by Rossiya. Therefore, when looking for a flight, it is useful to look not only at the number and seller of the ticket, but also at the line “performs the airline”.

In 2016, under the Rossiya brand, flight programs were also combined with Donavia and Orenburg Airlines. This expanded the geography beyond the traditional St. Petersburg network and made Moscow and tourist flights a prominent part of the schedule.

Russia is characterized by a combination of large flows from St. Petersburg and Moscow with Far Eastern and tourist routes. In some areas, it acts as the actual carrier when selling a ticket under the code Aeroflot. The difference is important in practice: the airport, schedule and aircraft are indicated for a specific flight, not for the whole group.

Aircraft and features

The carrier combines regional and long-haul flights. In its park there is a Superjet 100 for routes with less passenger traffic and more capacious planes for long-distance and tourist flights.

The company is also known for special aircraft colors. After the expansion in 2016, there was a tradition to assign names of Russian cities to the boards; such details help distinguish the livery of Russia at the airport.

The expansion of 2016 brought to the historical park and large Boeing 747-400. Now it is more important to look at the current type of board to understand a particular flight: regional Superjet and more capacious mainline aircraft coexist in one airline.

Along with the usual livery, the company used special paints on the sides. Among them was a plane with the image of the Amur tiger, presented in 2016; such projects drew attention to the protection of rare animals. Another recognizable element is the names and coats of arms of Russian cities on airplanes. These details help distinguish Russian aircraft, but the composition of the fleet changes over time.

The wide-body Boeing 747-400 and 777 became a prominent part of the history of the 2016 expansion; some of these aircraft had previously flown with other Russian carriers. At the same time, the Superjet 100 developed in the park for shorter routes and loading. Therefore, photos of the two aircraft "Russia" can show a very different size of the cabin and the nature of transportation.