Aeroflot Flight Attendants Treat Putin With Flowers As War On Ukraine Rages On

It is a practice that Russian President Vladimir Putin has employed in recent weeks to keep visiting international leaders and even his cabinet members from getting too close to him. Because of Putin’s concern of catching COVID-19, it was assumed.

Putin’s apprehension with contracting COVID-19 was widely assumed to be the cause.

On Saturday, there were no such worries when the president visited Aeroflot’s training facility in Moscow.

Russia’s self-built Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner simulator and the Russian MC-21 medium-haul narrow-body airliner training cockpit were displayed during Putin’s visit. Because of the Western sanctions, Russia’s airlines may have to rely on the country’s aerospace industry in future.

Before sitting down to answer questions, Putin toured the facilities and was flanked by a group of young female flight attendants. Putin appeared to have no qualms about mingling with the soon-to-be unemployed cabin crew.

When Aeroflot announced that it would be halting all of its international flights on 8 March due to fears that lessors would seize its fleet of primarily leased planes in other countries, Vladimir Putin decided to visit the training centre.

Aeroflot Group airlines operated one hundred international routes before Russia invaded Ukraine. Aeroflot will only fly to Minsk from now on for international flights.

As an excuse for Putin’s entourage, which included several female flight attendants, he claimed he congratulated them on International Women’s Day.

According to Kremlin statistics, only 200 of Russia’s 70,000 female airline workers were pilots before the invasion of Ukraine.

The official euphemism for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was “special operation,” which was used by one female first officer aboard Aeroflot’s Airbus A320 to say that everyone on deck “supports your actions and the special operation occurring there.

Nevertheless, another First Officer dreaded the prospect of martial law, which has been bandied about Russia over the past week. Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to calm fears of conscription and martial law by saying that he hoped “it won’t.”

The outlook for Aeroflot and other Russian carriers, despite the cheery faces, is bleaker than ever.

Even if they wanted to, Airbus and Boeing could not supply Russian airlines with planes or spare components, even if they were willing. Other aerospace businesses that supply Russian airlines are also affected by the sanctions, while aircraft lessors are exploring ways to reclaim their assets.’

Global Distribution Systems like Sabre and Amadeus have disconnected Aeroflot from their booking system. They may even detach it from its automation processes, which keep Aeroflot flying in the first place.

Other penalties that have had a more significant impact on Russian airlines than Western carriers, such as the widespread bans on Russian planes flying in international airspace, are also significant.