The Russian carrier, based at Moscow third airport of Vnukovo, mainly operates domestic flights. It is one of the few commercial airlines in the world to operate a vast fleet of helicopters besides airplanes. It has a very poor safety record, with 3 major accidents (one of which with fatalities) in the last 10 years and a rating of 2 stars out of 7 received from specialized website airlineratings.com (Photo Wikimedia Commons / Anna Zvereva)
- - 5 STARS: Awarded to airlines achieving a very high, overall quality performance. It recognizes high standards of onboard product together with consistent and excellent standards of staff service across airport and cabin environments
- - 4 STARS: Awarded to airlines that deliver a good overall quality performance and provide good product standards across different travel cabins
- - 3 STARS: Awarded to airlines delivering a fair quality performance equating to the industry 'average' of acceptable product and service standards
- - 2 STARS: Shows airlines delivering a lower total quality performance, in some instances below the industry average across many rating categories
- - 1 STAR: Represents a poor quality of product delivered across the assessment sectors
* SKYTRAX (www.skytraxratings.com) is the most prestigious independent rating agency in commercial aviation. Its five stars rating system regarding airline quality has become a status symbol for carriers around the world. Here is what the stars stand for: