S7 Airlines

S7 Airlines has maintained international safety certifications but has also faced a notable historical incident and recent operational challenges.

The most significant safety incident for S7 Airlines was Flight 778 on July 9, 2006. An Airbus A310 aircraft overran the runway during landing at Irkutsk, crashing and resulting in 125 fatalities. The investigation attributed the cause primarily to pilot error. More recent incidents reported in 2021 include rejected takeoffs due to technical malfunctions and unreliable airspeed, none of which resulted in fatalities.

In terms of regulatory compliance, S7 Airlines received an official IATA certificate as an IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) operator in 2007. This made it the second Russian air carrier to successfully pass this full international audit for operational safety standards. However, as of 2022, S7 Airlines, along with other Russian airlines, is banned from flying into EU airspace.

The airline operates a modern fleet, with all flights conducted on aircraft from leading global manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer. As of 2025, the average fleet age is around 15.4 years, though newer aircraft like the Airbus A320neo and A321neo families have a much younger average age. Historically, concerns were raised about the safety level of its Airbus A310 fleet compared to other operators, and practices like deferred defects due to challenges in importing spare parts. More recently, reports from October 2023 indicate that international sanctions have led to problems with spare parts for engines and aircraft servicing, significantly reducing the operational capacity of its Airbus fleet.

Overall, S7 Airlines has a history of adhering to international operational safety standards through its IOSA certification. While the 2006 Irkutsk crash remains a critical event, the airline has also received recognition, including the Skyway Service Award in Transportation Safety: Flight Safety in 2017 and the Safety Leaders Award in 2019. However, the current geopolitical climate and associated sanctions present ongoing challenges to fleet maintenance and may impact future operational integrity.