Who owns s7 airlines. S7 Airlines Siberia
Company `s logo
S7 Airlines (JSC Siberia Airlines) is now one of the leading and dynamically developing Russian air carriers with the base city of Novosibirsk. It is part of the S7 Group and the third largest aviation alliance in the world, Oneworld. The company has two nodal international airports in the city and in "" (Moscow).
Main directions
The company operates regular flights, both on domestic routes and to Europe, the countries of the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region:
Domestic flights:
Astrakhan, Anapa, Bratsk, Barnaul, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok, Vladikavkaz, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Magnitogorsk, Kemerovo, Magadan, Krasnodar, Kurgan, Mineral water, Makhachkala, Moscow, Nizhnevartovsk, Norilsk, Nadym, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Sochi, New Urengoy, Perm, Chita, Ufa, Tomsk, Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Chelyabinsk, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don;
International flights:
Antalya, Ashgabat, Bangkok, Baku, Burgas, Varna, Dubai, Hong Kong, Gyumri, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Dushanbe, Dublin, Yerevan, Kyiv, Munich, Chisinau, Innsbruck, Osh, Semipalatinsk, Podgoritsa, Pavlodar, Sanya, Beijing, Tashkent, Urgench, Tel Aviv, Khujand, Istanbul, Tenerife, Tokyo, Tbilisi, Shenyang, Urumqi, Frankfurt am Main, Utapao, Tivat, Seoul.
air park
S7 Airlines has one of the most advanced fleets of air liners in Russia and has about 60 aircraft, among which, Airbus aircraft A319-100, Airbus A320-100, Airbus A321-100, Boeng 737-400, Boeng 737-800, Boeng 767-300ER.
C7 Partners
The company is a party to a special commercial agreement with 25 airlines around the world. That allows it to conduct joint commercial operation of flights and provides passengers with significant advantages and convenience when using complex flights with several landings on flights of partner companies.
"S7 Airlines" has a subsidiary "", which transferred most of the charter flights.
Services sector
The air carrier takes care of providing modern and diverse services for servicing passengers, based on international standards. S7 Airlines for the first time in Russia has launched an online order and purchase of air tickets. The company's special services include:
– internet service:
is modern, fast and convenient service available also from mobile phones. The company's website allows you to search for the necessary tickets, both for the required date and for the time period closest to it, evaluate the price range of the proposed options, book or buy the desired ticket. On the site you can go through pre-flight registration;
– passenger transfer services at the place of arrival:
this service allows you to order at the destination airport a transfer to the desired place in unfamiliar city. The service has a fixed price;
- "flying packages";
service for the delivery of envelopes (packages) to desired city or country, without the participation of the customer when concluding the contract;
— programs "S7-priority";
for passengers who frequently use the company's services, there is a program for accounting for “flyed” miles. As a result, the passenger accumulates bonuses for discounts that apply to further purchases of air tickets.
Awards and safety
Since 2001, S7 Airlines has won various diplomas at airline exhibitions and competitions. The last, very significant award was the victory in the nomination "Service on the ground and in the sky (Russian airline)" awarded in 2014.
For more than 10 years, the company has been a member of the International Air Transport Association, and since 2007, after passing the audit, it officially complies with international flight safety standards.
Online Services
Buying a ticket on the site
You can buy a ticket on the official website of Siberia Airlines at travelwith.s7.ru. You will need the minimum information about the flight:
- place of departure and arrival
- desired date
- number of passengers
Optionally, you can choose a direct flight, make a compound route (with transfers at certain airports).
Economy Basic fare does not include luggage. Only hand luggage, weighing no more than 10 kg. Also, the ticket cannot be returned.
On the next page, the service will offer all the flights that match your request. Choose a class (economy, business) and move on.
At the next step, the service will offer you to book a hotel and rent a car. If this is not necessary, proceed to the next step.
Enter the personal data of passengers: full name, date of birth, identity confirmation document (passport, international passport). Enter contact information for communication. On the same page, you need to pay the final amount using Visa and MasterCard.
Online check-in
Available at the link - webcheckin.s7.ru.On the page, enter the passenger's last name (in Latin letters), also indicate the booking number or ticket number.
Select a seat in the aircraft cabin and click save. Download your boarding pass and print it (this can be done both at home and at the airport).
Online check-in starts 30 hours and ends 50 minutes before departure.
Contact Information
- Official website of S7 Airlines: s7.ru
- Telephone: :+78002000007.
- Fax machine: +74953630580.
- Email : call [email protected].
- The address: Siberia Airlines OJSC, Ob-4, Novosibirsk region, Russia, 633104.
S7 Airlines is one of the largest carriers among Russian companies. According to statistics, it is included in the TOP-50 aviation companies in the world. The company in 1957 began to carry out civil flights from an airfield intended for military aviation, which is located in Novosibirsk. The airfield is part of the Tolmachevo Joint Aviation Detachment.
Siberia Airlines was established in 2005 and operates flights to Russia and abroad under the S7 Airlines brand. It has 3 large transport hubs in Moscow (Domodedovo airport), Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo airport) and Irkutsk. The aviation company operates flights to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia.
Siberia Airlines has only positive reviews on the site, which are left by passengers. Of these, there are many positive statements about the work of the company. The air carrier improves the service and constantly creates innovations that can influence the future activities of the company. In most cases, after-sales service plays a decisive role in choosing an airline. It is for this reason that the carrier is constantly improving passenger service. And thanks to its policy, it wins in the market against other large firms.
IL-86 of Siberia Airlines, 2007
Airline development
The year 2006 became a difficult period for the carrier, as several divisions were created on the basis of the company, and S7 Group. Aircraft have changed color.
November, 2010 Globus and S7 join Oneworld, an aviation alliance. These changes helped to sell tickets under a special code on a par with the main air carriers.
2011. The company's shares were put up for sale by the state. However, the auction was not held because a buyer was not found. The price of the initial sale was high 2.9 billion rubles.
May, 2013 S7 Group won the tender for the acquisition of shares in the carrier Siberia. For the purchase of shares, 1 billion 133 million rubles were offered.
October, 2015 Owner Filev V. Concludes an agreement to acquire a 51% stake in Transaero. However, he soon backs out of the deal.
2016 Implementation of a new sales technology New Distribution Capability. It influenced the convenient and fast ticket sales. In March, tickets appeared using the latest NDC S7 Airlines standard. This protocol is already used by 20 major carriers in the world.
Sales office "S7 Ticket" and "S7 Tour" on Sukhe-Bator street in Irkutsk
Fleet history
Over the years, the airline has operated different vessels. In the park until 2008 there were aircraft: Tu-204, Tu-154, Il-86. After November 17 of the same year, the listed aircraft ceased to operate.
Tu-204-100 Siberia Airlines, 2003
In 2007, in May, the company entered into an agreement with the firm Boeing for the purchase of 15 Boeing 787 aircraft. Thus, it becomes one of the first aviation companies in Russia to purchase such aircraft.
The airline purchased 4 Airbus aircraft in 2008. They were manufactured by CFM International and are equipped with CFM56 engines. Then 25 more aircraft were bought. In connection with the crisis situation in the country, in 2009 the contract was terminated. Aviation company "Globus" ceased to operate the machines, and decommissioned the court.
In 2016, on April 6, the head of the company V. Obiedkov signed an agreement with Airbus for the supply of 5 Airbus A320neo aircraft. In the same year, a contract was signed for the purchase of 9 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The latest aircraft have influenced the popularity of the air carrier. Thanks to modern ships, they began to bring a large flow of passengers to the company. Aircraft provided a safe and comfortable flight.
Flight safety has always been an important aspect in the work of the Siberia company. Many tourists prefer to fly with an air carrier, as it has modern ships, and high-class passenger service on the lines.
Boeing 737-800 S7 Airlines
Now the company has a modern fleet of aircraft in the civil air transportation market in Russia. Aircraft that operate flights have an average age of 6 years. S7 Airlines carries out transportation on aircraft of foreign manufacturers Boeing and Airbus.
The fleet of S7 airlines consists of 32 aircraft:
19 Airbus A319. They have a very shortened body, as two rows of seats are reduced. The model has a salon of the 2nd type, designed for 128 seats: 120 - economy class and 8 business class. Junior aircraft 9 years old, eldest 15.
Airbus A319-100 S7 Airlines
9 Airbus A320. The salon has 2 classes: 8 seats business and economy 150. The youngest aircraft is 0.5 years old, and the oldest is 9 years old.
2 Airbus A310 aircraft. The aircraft is wide-body, designed for long-distance flights. The salon has 241 seats in economy class and 14 in business. Has not been operated since 2010.
2 Boeing 767-300 long haul aircraft. The aircraft has a cabin with 18 business class seats and 222 economy class seats. The vessel is 17.5 years younger and 19 years older.
Airline check-in
Online check-in for an S7 airline flight starts 30 hours before the departure of the aircraft, and ends 50 minutes before its take-off. There are also mobile services that will help you register using a mobile device. Using this service, you can check the time of departure and arrival, select a seat, and purchase a boarding pass for the flight. You can purchase an Aeroexpress ticket using your phone.
If check-in takes place at Domodedovo airport, then it opens 2-3 hours before take-off. At the airport, in Novosibirsk and other cities of Russia and abroad 3 hours before takeoff. And the check-in of passengers for S7 aircraft ends 40 minutes before takeoff.
In Domodedovo, where registration for the carrier's aircraft is carried out, the S7 zone can be immediately noticed. She has a distinct, flamboyant style. If passengers do not have luggage, they will be able to use the kiosks where they can go through the procedure themselves. In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is necessary to clarify how to register. S7 Airlines has an official website , where you can find information and check-in rules for the flight.
Instructions on how to check in for an S7 Airlines flight
To register, you need to go to the website of the air carrier. After that, you need to select the “check-in for the flight” section. Enter the last name and number in Latin letters electronic ticket and booking. The data can be viewed on the ticket, they will be sent by the carrier company. It is necessary to select the checkboxes of the passenger who is being checked in.
The system itself will determine the place in the cabin for the passenger. If you wish, you can change the place, just use the "change" button. Only S7 Priority card holders can choose a seat for free. For other passengers, the payment for choosing a seat varies from the ticket fare for the flight. For example, if your tariff is economy basic, then you need to pay 300 rubles for a seat.
Norms for payment and baggage
For regular flights, Siberia Airlines offers free baggage allowance. Its weight should be up to 20 kg for economy class passengers and 30 kg for the business segment.
You can carry on the plane hand luggage, the weight of which is not higher than 7 kilograms (size 55cmx40cmx20cm). In business class, there are hand luggage 2 places. Additional baggage has a different price, it is made depending on the duration of the flight. It is possible to make a cost on the website or during the check-in of luggage.
Transportation of animals on the aircraft of the company Siberia
AT luggage compartment it is possible to transport animals: cats, dogs, birds. For the transportation of other animals, a special registration is provided. The company provides a paid flight, its price will depend on the size and weight of the pet. To arrange transportation, you need to go to the ticket sales office of the company.
The animal will need a veterinary certificate, a passport, as well as a carrier. If you plan to fly an animal, then 48 hours before the flight you need to call the company and leave a request for its transportation.
A pet can be taken into the cabin of the aircraft, provided that its weight with carrying does not exceed 10 kg, and the dimensions of the bag will not exceed 115 centimeters on three sides, and the height will not exceed 20 centimeters. Also at the airport you need to go through veterinary control.
Damage or Loss of Baggage
If your baggage is damaged upon receipt, or not all items are present in it, then you need to contact S7 Airlines with an act. In a situation where you could not find your luggage on the belt, then you need to draw up documents, and the company will deliver your luggage later. The great experience of the air carrier made it possible to completely exclude the possibility of such troubles. Over the years of continuous work, the provision of services is carried out clearly without errors and troubles for passengers. Luggage can always be picked up on time.
Flight geography
Since June 2016, C7 Airlines has significantly increased flights to different cities. This decision was dictated by the termination of the AirBerlin flight program between our country and Germany.
Flights are operated from Moscow to the most popular cities for tourists: Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf. The director of the airline, Veretennikov I., notes that they also operate flights to small towns. These flights are transit, they are operated jointly with the carrier AirBerlin. Transfers are provided in Cologne, Munich, Dusseldorf, Stuggart, Frankfurt am Main, Dresden, Nuremberg, Hamburg, Berlin, Saarbrücken.
The Russian airline cooperates with AirBerlin. The code-share agreement for the carrier allows flights to 8 cities in Germany, which are not very popular among tourists.
In 2016, AirBerlin drastically reduced flights between Russia and Germany. This decision is understandable, since for several years the demand for air tickets in this direction has decreased. The carrier Siberia is verified in our country and other countries of the world. With a large fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft and excellent in-flight service, it is popular with tourists.
Every year, the carrier operates flights to transport more than 10 million people, and has a high security system. S7 Airlines is the leader among other air carriers in our country. In 2015, the transportation of passengers amounted to 10.6 million people who used the services of Siberia Airlines.
Destinations S7 Airlines
Red color - Russia,
Blue color - destination countries
The carrier provides passengers with the opportunity to take part in a program that gives out bonuses for miles of flights. It is also possible to get an additional package of services of international carriers.
The company has cooperation with 30 foreign and Russian air carriers. And therefore, when purchasing a ticket for a flight, you carry out part of the flight on a flight of Siberia Airlines, and the rest of the flight on a flight of a partner company.
The carrier has only new vessels for flights. Aircraft have a service life of 8 years. The fleet has only foreign aircraft, as they save on fuel and maintenance. The fleet consists of 66 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
The air carrier has route network which covers different regions of our country. Airplanes perform regular flights to Asia, Europe, and the CIS countries.
The S7 airline phone number can be viewed on the company's website, as well as check in and clarify the data on the departure time of your aircraft. Even on the website it is possible to choose a seat in the cabin, which is very convenient for passengers.
Tolmachevsky squadron - the origins of S7 Airlines
The modern airline S7 Airlines has grown from one of the flight squads civil aviation THE USSR. In 1957, on the basis of the former military airfield near Novosibirsk, transformed into civil airport Tolmachevo, the Tolmachevo Joint Squadron was formed. The first aircraft of the new enterprise were jet Tu-104s, which launched regular flights from Novosibirsk to Moscow. In the 1960s-1980s. the air squadron was based at the Tolmachevo airport and carried out the tasks of developing air transportation throughout the country from largest city Siberia.
Siberia Airlines in the 1990s and early 2000s
In 1992, the Tolmachevsky squadron was transformed into the state airline "Siberia". In 1994, the new carrier was privatized and began independent development. The airline began to gain weight not only due to its own growth, but also through the absorption of smaller aviation enterprises in neighboring regions - Barnaul, Tomsk, Kemerovo, Novokuznetsk. In 2001, Siberia Airlines took over the large Moscow company Vnukovo Airlines. The merger of the two leading carriers allowed Siberia Airlines to get a wide network of routes from Moscow and become the second largest airline in Russia. And in terms of the volume of domestic transportation, the company has become the leader in the country.
In 2001 "Siberia" became a full member of the International Air Transport Association IATA (IATA - International Air Transport Association). Integration into the global aviation industry helped the future S7 Airlines turn into an innovator of air transportation in the country. In the 2000s Siberia Airlines uncontrollably expanded the geography of flights, updated its fleet and introduced new technologies. For example, in 2005, the airline was the first in Russia to open the sale of tickets for its flights via the Internet, and in 2008 it completely decommissioned all obsolete aircraft.
Rebranding of S7 Airlines
Siberia Airlines acquired its modern look in 2006, when a rebranding was carried out. The company stood out against the general background with a new bright green color of its aircraft, and the phrase "S7 Airlines" became the airline's trademark. The renewed company, together with its subsidiary carrier, a subsidiary of airlines, became part of the newly formed "S7 Group".
Another significant event was the entry of S7 Airlines into the global aviation alliance. This event took place in 2010. At the moment, only 2 Russian airlines are members of global alliances (in addition to S7 Airlines, this largest airline countries ). Joining the Oneworld alliance corrected the company's development strategy, which is now focused not only on its own development, but also on the overall development of the alliance's global route network.
S7 Airlines today
Today, S7 Airlines continues to be one of the leaders in air transportation in Russia. The company continues to actively introduce modern technologies, but the emphasis in development has shifted from the desire for active growth to the course of improving the quality and increasing the efficiency of the services provided.
S7 Airlines (legal name - JSC Siberia Airlines) is the third largest Russian airline. It is based at the Novosibirsk Tolmachevo airport, forming regional hubs in Irkutsk and Domodedovo. Part of the C7 Group of Companies (“S7 Group”); member of the global aviation alliance "oneworld".
Story
2017: Roskosmos and S7 will build an orbital cosmodrome
In 2017, the group's airlines carried over 14.2 million passengers.
2006-2010
- S7 Airlines operated 10 Boeing 737-500s in 2005-2008
- The year 2006 became a turning point for Siberia: on its basis and structural subdivisions, the S7 Group group of companies was created. In connection with this event, in March, the airline surprised not only passengers, but also colleagues and competitors with a rebranding and bold colors of aircraft. The modest white fuselages and blue-blue tails of the company's aircraft have become bright green with a red and white logo of an almost new carrier - S7 Airlines.
- On November 15, 2010, S7 Airlines became a full member of the Oneworld international air carrier alliance.
1957-2005
- In 1957, from a military airfield in Novosibirsk region(the future airport "Tolmachevo") the first civil flight was made on the route Novosibirsk - Moscow on a Tu-104 aircraft. This event is considered the birth of the Tolmachevsky united air squadron.
- After 35 years - in 1992 - on the basis of the Tolmachevsky united air squadron, the state airline Siberia was formed. In 1994 the company was privatized. Then "Siberia" received international code IATA.
- In 2001 Siberia Airlines became a full member of the International Air Transport Association IATA. At the same time, the company bought Vnukovo Airlines and became the second largest airline in Russia and the first in terms of domestic traffic. A year later, Sibir began operating 60% of its flights from Domodedovo Airport, moving its head office from Novosibirsk to Moscow. In the same year, Sibir took over the Armenian Armavia, and in the summer of 2004 acquired a controlling stake in the Chelyabinsk Aviation Enterprise.
- In 2005, Sibir was the first among Russian airlines to introduce the sale of air tickets for its flights via the Internet.
Attempts at privatization
The state-owned stake in Siberia (25.5%) was repeatedly put up for sale in 2006 and 2007. Negotiations for the sale have been underway since 2001, but no buyers have been found. At the end of 2009, representatives of the country's main air carrier, Aeroflot, mentioned the possibility of acquiring a state-owned stake in Siberia, but this did not result in concrete actions. In 2011, the state again put its stake up for auction three times, but all of them did not take place due to the lack of applicants for the purchase. Experts explained the failures in the privatization of the package by the fact that it is not interesting for portfolio investors due to the high starting price (1.8 - 2.9 billion rubles), and for strategic ones - because of the size of the package, which does not give the right to really influence the management of the airline .
Fleet
The company's air fleet consists of 43 long-haul and medium-haul aircraft (as of February 8, 2012).
Fleet history
Over the years of its history, S7 Airlines has operated various types of aircraft. Until the end of 2008, the airline's fleet included such liners as Il-86, Tu-154 and Tu-204. In 2004, S7 Airlines launched a plan to upgrade its air fleet. On November 17, 2008, the operation of Soviet aircraft in the company was completely discontinued.
On May 29, 2007, the airline signed a contract with Boeing for the purchase of 15 Boeing-787 airliners and an option for another 10 such aircraft, thus becoming the first customer of these aircraft among Russian airlines. The delivery date for the first aircraft is 2014; the catalog value of 15 liners is $ 2.4 billion. However, at the end of January 2009, due to the economic crisis and the airline's difficult financial situation, this contract was terminated.
Since April 2008, S7 Airlines began operating flights on the new Airbus A320 aircraft. Under an operating lease agreement concluded with ILFC, in 2008 S7 Airlines received 4 aircraft of this type. All of them are equipped with CFM56 engines manufactured by CFM International. In 2009, deliveries of another 25 aircraft began.
A part of scheduled domestic flights is operated by Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-400 aircraft of the subsidiary charter airline"The globe".
Activity
The company has an extensive network of routes with transfer hubs in Moscow (Domodedovo), Novosibirsk (Tolmachevo, base airport) and Irkutsk.
According to the results of 2006, Siberia Airlines ranked third in terms of the number of passengers carried on charter flights (950,000 passengers), yielding to Atlant-Soyuz (1.14 million passengers) and VIM-Avia (980,000 passengers). Charter flights make up 19% of the passenger traffic of JSC "Siberia". In 2008, the majority of charter flights were transferred to the Globus subsidiary.
In 2007, S7 Airlines aircraft operated over 47.5 thousand flights carrying 5,698.1 thousand passengers. Growth in the number of passengers carried on domestic overhead lines amounted to 22%, and on international - 8%. Passenger turnover in 2007 exceeded 13.9 billion passenger kilometers. In 2007, more than 33.3 thousand tons of cargo and mail were transported. Cargo turnover in 2007 amounted to more than 1.3 billion ton-kilometers.
The number of passengers carried in 2008 amounted to 5,892,548 people, 51,422 flights were performed.
Mergers and acquisitions
In 2002, Siberia Airlines gained control over Vnukovo Airlines, as a result of which it expanded its network of routes from Moscow.
Also in 2002, Siberia Airlines bought a controlling stake in Armavia Airlines. In 2005 Armavia was sold.
In 2008, an offer was sent to the Austrian State Property Management Agency (OeIAG) to purchase 43% Austrian Airlines. If the deal were concluded, the Russian airline would receive an additional 3 million passengers a year at Vienna airport. However, the deal for S7 failed due to the fact that the company did not have time to submit documents on time. As a result, Austrian Airlines were acquired by Lufthansa.
Route network
S7 Airlines, together with its subsidiary carriers, forms an extensive route network that includes 83 destinations (41 domestic) to 26 countries.
Awards
S7 Airlines has repeatedly become a laureate of various competitions, exhibitions and awards.
In 2001 CEO airline Vladislav Filev was recognized as the best manager of the year in Russian air transport.
At the international tourist fair MITT-2002 in Moscow, Sibir was recognized as the best airline in Russia.
In 2003, S7 Airlines was the first Russian airline to win the Flight International Aerospace Awards from the British magazine Flight International in the Corporate Strategy nomination.
In February 2004, she received an award from the American magazine "Air Transport World magazine" in the "Market Leaders" nomination. In 2007, the airline became the winner of the annual national award "People's Brand / Brand No. 1 in Russia".
Why did Vladislav Filev go into space.
Vladislav Filev, the owner of the S7 group of companies, is becoming a notable newsmaker not only in the air transport business.
Last year, for about two months, his name did not leave the front pages of federal publications with news about the upcoming deal to buy Transaero airlines in defiance of Aeroflot. But the deal did not take place - the seller did not collect a controlling stake, which Filev, probably, only rejoiced at. To take on a loss-making company, which, moreover, in terms of business volume exceeds its own, is not an easy task.
At the end of September of this year, the businessman announced the acquisition of the Sea Launch space project for $150 million and partnership with RSC Energia in the development and launch of rockets into geostationary Earth orbit. Filev felt more than confident in front of reporters and TV cameras at a joint press conference with Energia. “In aviation, I cannot be the first, there is already Aeroflot, but I will be in space,” he told reporters and immediately explained that the space industry attracted him with many advanced achievements, and he, unlike others, knows how monetize these achievements. Not without injections against Roskosmos. “For all the technical, scientific and technological development, astronautics looks underdeveloped as an industry. In astronautics, the one who makes the rockets launches them and controls the satellites himself. Imagine an airline that makes its own planes, builds its own airports.” The head of RSC Energia, Vladimir Solntsev, did not pay attention to these words, and later admitted that Roscosmos really knows how to develop and build rockets, but does not know how to sell them. Energia searched the West for a buyer for Sea Launch for about two years without any result, and finally found it in Russia. "Ko" understood better than the head of the second in terms of traffic Russian airline attracted space.
Take-off landing
The business of launching satellites into geostationary orbit is gaining momentum. According to the estimates of the Satellite Industry Association, the volume of this market last year was $5.4 billion. In the world, so far only Russia, the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, China, India, Israel, and Japan have rocket and space technologies. And only three countries constantly launch satellites on a commercial basis, and three more - from time to time and on a much smaller scale.
In 2015, 87 launch vehicles were launched into space, of which 29 were launched by Russia, 20 by the United States, and 19 were launched by China. “Russian Protons, Elon Musk’s SpaceX on a Falcon rocket, a joint project of the European Space Agency and Arianespace with Ariane rockets are flying into orbit,” lists Alexei Kaltushkin, CEO of the Russian private rocket company Lin Industrial. “Competition is intensifying, and each unsuccessful launch forces customers to play it safe by booking a rocket launch with a competitor.” Sea Launch is an attempt to enter an interesting and fast-growing market for launching space satellites by acquiring a ready-made project, Alexey Belyakov, Executive Director of the Space Technologies and Telecommunications Cluster, Vice President of the Skolkovo Foundation, told Ko. “This is a business project, and it will quickly pay off if we manage to reach an agreement with Ukraine and set up the production of Zenit launch vehicles, which were originally intended for it.”
The Sea Launch project appeared in 1995. This is the Odyssey floating spaceport in the center Pacific Ocean and its accompanying vessel, as well as equipment and a land base in the port of Long Beach near Los Angeles. Initially, the project was international: Boeing owned 40% of the shares of the management company, RSC Energia owned 25%, the Ukrainian design bureau Yuzhnoye and the Yuzhmash production association got 5% and 10% each, respectively. The remaining 20% was owned by the Norwegian shipbuilding company Aker Kværner (now Aker Solutions).
Since its inception, more than $3.5 billion has been invested in the project, however, it turned out to be unprofitable. The reason is the high cost of platform maintenance with a small number of launches. In 2009, the company went bankrupt, its debts approached $1 billion. In 2010, foreigners almost completely left the project (Energia had 95% of the shares, In 2014, due to a conflict with Ukraine, which produced Zenit missiles, the launches stopped. Energia was glad to part with Sea Launch, but was looking for a buyer for a long time.
Closer to power
Negotiations with Filev lasted a year and a half, which the businessman himself admitted. That is, they began a few months after the bankruptcy of the Transaero airline, which Filev tried to buy, but did not do it very elegantly. He argued the refusal of the transaction by the fact that the seller, who was Alexander Pleshakov, could not consolidate a controlling stake, and in addition, a significant part of their securities is pledged by VTB and other banks. ???The latter even accused Filev of disrupting the agreements and was going to sue, since the deal was valid for 60 days from the date of signing, and withdrawing from it unilaterally violated the agreements. Why then Filev backpedaled is quite easy to explain. On October 26, 2015, Transaero's air operator certificate was revoked, Aeroflot took 56 of its most interesting routes. Aircraft "Transaero" returned to the lessors. The company's debts were estimated at 260 billion rubles. There is practically nothing left of Transaero. Is it a brand that was surrounded by scandals and negative information.
Filev's decision to buy was prompted by a desire to prevent the monopoly of Aeroflot, which is formed in the market with the departure of the number two carrier, which most recently was Transaero. In addition, S7 could count on some preferences from the state and state support, assuming social obligations to the employees of the bankrupt airline and passengers. Plus, the desire to become too big to fail, which also gave some protection from the encroachments of the same Aeroflot or the state.
It seems that for the same reason Filev became interested in Sea Launch. “In the current situation on the market, it is becoming uncomfortable for a completely private company to do business, participation in important state projects is required, and Sea Launch is the best suited for this,” a source close to the Ministry of Transport told Ko. “This is the initiative of Filev himself, hardly any of the officials could have thought of suggesting this project to him.”
For what money
The deal has not been closed yet, as it requires the approval of the State Department and the US Treasury Department. But even after that it will not be possible to assert that the project will become completely private. Legally, the entire infrastructure belongs to the S7 Group. But management will be private-public: S7 has entered into a cooperation agreement with Energia, which indirectly confirms the idea that the businessman intends to strengthen his position through participation in an important project for the state. “On the part of Energia, this is technical support, on the part of S7, it is marketing, financial technologies and managerial experience,” says Vladimir Solntsev. According to Vladislav Filev himself, S7 does not experience pressure from the state. The coastal infrastructure will remain in the United States for the time being, Sea Launch's headquarters will move to Moscow, and the project itself, according to Filev, "will become completely Russian."
Where does S7 get the money for the deal is another question that has not yet been fully answered. In 2015, the total revenue under RAS of CJSC S7 Group of Companies and its Siberia and Globus airlines amounted to 102 billion rubles, the total net profit was 1.9 billion rubles. (about $30 million), the group does not disclose consolidated figures. “The Filevs earned enough money from the aviation business to be directed to other projects,” says Oleg Panteleev, executive director of the Aviaport agency. “They have the financial resources to pay for a significant part of the transaction from their own funds.” According to Forbes, the fortune of the Filev family last year was estimated at 15 billion rubles.
Filev also does not cover upcoming investments. “There are so many space projects that you can spend a lot. But we will proceed from the possibilities: our revenue is about 100 billion rubles. per year, we are profitable, we have no debt. We do not think to be limited only to launches, but we plan to provide integrated services, for example, to launch our own satellite, he said. - The launch can cost $70 million, the satellite itself - $250 million, the entire project - $320, $1.6 billion a year - it's impossible to get that much out of your pocket every year, we will look for partners.
Paying for risk
S7 plans to revive the platform by the end of 2018, 18 months after the approval of the transaction (this process will take six months). Filev is sure that the resource of the platform will be enough for another 90 launches (then modernization will be needed) - six launches per year for 15 years. This, he said, allows us to talk about the use of missiles from different manufacturers. But Sea Launch is designed to launch Ukrainian Zenith missiles. Energia proposes a new launch vehicle for Sea Launch, but it will appear within five years. We'll have to negotiate with Kiev. The Ukrainian "Yuzhmash" said that they could start shipping "Zeniths" at the end of 2017, if funding starts in October this year. But won't big politics intervene again? “There is no confidence in Ukraine in this matter,” says Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics. K.E. Tsiolkovsky Andrey Ionin.
Filev is not particularly afraid of risks and quotes celebrities: “As Bill Gates said, only 180 days separate any company from bankruptcy. Jack Welsh said that no matter how economic crises are predicted, they always come suddenly, but whoever survives gets stronger.” He got an entrance ticket to space at a price he can afford to pay. "It's like an expensive lottery ticket," a source in the aviation industry told Co. - If you can afford to buy it, you can win a lot. If Filev loses, he will continue to engage in aviation.”
