OJSC Siberia Airlines, operating as S7 Airlines, is an airline headquartered in Novosibirsk
Oblast, Russia, with offices in Moscow.
As of 2008 it was Russia's biggest airline, based on number of domestic passengers.
S7 has operated scheduled passenger flights to destinations in Russia, as well as international
services to Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, PR China, Czech Republic, Egypt,
Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro,
Korea, Spain, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and the
United Arab Emirates.
Its main bases and hubs have included Moscow Domodedovo International Airport and Novosibirsk
Tolmachevo Airport, with a further hub at Irkutsk Airport, Irkutsk.
After 2004, it became the largest domestic route airline network in Russia.
History
Siberia Airlines was established in May 1992, in Novosibirsk, Russia.
Since 2005 Sibir flies under the S7 Airlines brand.
The first international flight was in 1991 to Harbin, PR China.
In 1994, the airline joined IATA.
Also in 1994, the company became an open joint stock company and started its first international
route from Novosibirsk to Frankfurt, Germany.
In the first half of the 1990s, Siberia Airlines was a medium-sized regional airline, like
many others created from former Aeroflot divisions.
Operations were mainly focused on domestic flights from Novosibirsk.
Siberia Airlines grown mainly through a series of mergers with smaller regional airlines.
In 1999, it opened its Moscow branch at Vnukovo Airport.
The charter flights program from Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport followed in 2000.
In 2004, the airline absorbed Chelyabinsk Airlines.
In March 2005, Siberia Airlines rolled out its new livery featuring a marketing strategy
focusing on the brand name "S7", its two-letter IATA code designator.
Both the branding and livery were created by London-based brand consultancy firm Landor
Associates.
The airline also embarked on an advertising campaign, also with Landor Associates, using
the slogan "Свобода выбирать".
In December 2006, the airline became the second Russian air carrier to complete, and pass,
the IATA International Safety Audit, which is the first global air safety standard.
On 27 September 2007, OAO Sibir Airlines /S7 Airlines/ received an official notice of IATA
when the carrier was entered in the register of operators IOSA.
It was announced in April 2007 that a new division had been set up within the airline,
called Globus.
This division was to focus on charter flights for tourists to foreign holiday destinations.
Initially, the aircraft for this division would be used from within the mainstream fleet,
but during 2010–2014, 10 Boeing 737–800 aircraft were to be leased with an all-economy
layout, followed by an option for a further 10 more after this period.
On 29 May 2007, the airline announced a proposed order for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner scheduled
for delivery in 2014, with an option for 10 additional aircraft.
However, the order was officially canceled on 29 January 2009, with S7 stating that it
is considering the possibility of taking the aircraft under a leasing scheme.
Airline alliance It joined the Oneworld alliance in 2010 and
it's projected to join Air Berlin and Niki's "the first European low-cost airliner alliance".
Destinations
Codeshare agreements S7 Airlines has codeshare agreements with
the following airlines: Fares/Ticketing
In line with an IATA resolution, from December 2006 the airline began to publish its fares
for international destinations originating in Russia in Euros, rather than US dollars.
This resulted in a fare increase, as the conversion rate used was 1 Euro = 1 US Dollar.
Fuel surcharges were also published in euros.
Its domestic fares were still to be shown in the local currency.
Fleet Current fleet
The S7 Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:
As of October 2014 the average age of the S7 Airlines Boeing and Airbus fleet was 9,2
years.
The first western aircraft, Airbus A310, were acquired in 2004.
In summer 2004 during the Farnborough Airshow, the company had signed a memorandum of intention
to purchase 50 of the new Sukhoi Russian Regional Jet, with the first plane to be delivered
in 2007.
However, the airline subsequently dropped its plans to order this aircraft, citing that
the aircraft's changed specifications no longer met its requirements.
The 16 leased Airbus A319 aircraft were previously operating for Northwest Airlines.
They were in service for S7 since summer 2006.
The airline is in discussions to acquire the new version of the Tupolev Tu-204, the Tupolev
Tu-204SM.
S7 has agreed to a memorandum of understanding with lessor Ilyushin-Finance, for 15 of the
new aircraft, with five to be delivered each in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Delivery of these planes never occurred.
As of November 2008, all Soviet-made aircraft had left the fleet.
Fleet history At different times, the S7 Airlines fleet
has consisted of the following aircraft:
Incidents and accidents As Siberia Airlines
On 4 October 2001, Siberia Airlines Flight 1812, a Tupolev Tu-154M, registration RA-85693,
en route from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk crashed into the Black Sea off Sochi, after being
hit with a S-200V surface to air missile fired as part of a Ukrainian Air Defense exercise
staged off Cape Onuk in Crimea.
On 24 August 2004, Siberia Airlines Flight 1047, a Tupolev Tu-154B2, registration RA-85556,
en route from Moscow to Sochi exploded and crashed due to a terrorist bombing near Rostov-on-Don,
Russia, killing all 46 people on board.
As S7 Airlines On 9 July 2006, S7 Airlines Flight 778, an
Airbus A310 carrying 193 passengers and 10 crew members, suffered a landing accident
at the Irkutsk International Airport in Siberia.
The jet failed to decelerate on landing, overran the runway and crashed into a concrete barricade.
124 people died.
Subsidiaries Sibir Technics LCC is a subsidiary of S7,
located on the grounds of Tolmachevo Airport.
See also
List of airports in Russia Transport in Russia
References
External links Official website