Vladimir Putin Surrounds Himself With Young Female Flight Attendants As Russia’s Airline Industry Teeters On Brink of Collapse

In recent weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has kept visiting world leaders and even his own cabinet ministers at more than arm’s length by making them sit at the opposite end of huge and elaborate tables

In recent weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has kept visiting world leaders and even his own cabinet ministers at more than arm’s length by making them sit at the opposite end f of huge and elaborate tables. The reason, it was presumed, was Putin’s fear of catching COVID-19.

The reason, it was presumed, was Putin’s fear of catching COVID-19.

But no such concerns seemed to worry the president on a visit to Aeroflot’s training center in Moscow on Saturday.

During his visit, Putin tried out an aircraft simulator for Russia’s self-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner and checked out a training cockpit for the Russian MC-21 medium-haul narrow-body airliner. Western sanctions mean Russia’s airlines may soon have to rely on the country’s beleaguered aerospace industry.

“Those who are fighting in Ukraine are fighting for the future of our children,” says Putin, claiming Russia’s preventing Ukraine from developing a nuclear weapons program aided by the West. He’s billed the invasion from start as a defensive operation, contrary to the evidence pic.twitter.com/AeNN0zll0f

— Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) March 5, 2022

After taking a tour of the facility, Putin then sat down for a question and answer session flanked by a group of young female flight attendants. No social distancing was evident and Putin seemed to have no concerns cosying up with the soon-to-be unemployed cabin crew.

Putin says he had been intending to visit Aeroflot’s training center for some time but only confirmed the visit once the airline announced it would be suspending all of its international flights from March 8 over fears that its fleet of mostly leased aircraft would be seized by lessors in foreign countries.

Just before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Aeroflot Group airlines operated 100 international routes to 53 countries. From March 8, Aeroflot will only fly internationally to Minsk.

Putin’s excuse for being surrounded by a bevy of female flight attendants was on the pretence of congratulating them on the upcoming International Women’s Day.

Russia’s airline industry employed 70,000 women before the attack on Ukraine – only 200 pilots were women, according to the Kremlin’s own figures.

Despite the fear of impending redundancy, one female first officer on Aeroflot’s Airbus A320 fleet said all of those present “support your actions and the special operation underway there” – the officially sanctioned euthamism for referring to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Another First Officer, though, feared the possibility of martial law, a rumour that has gripped Russia in the last week. Attempting to allay fears of conscription and martial law, Putin simply said that he hoped “it will not come to that”.

Despite the smiles, however, the future for Aeroflot, and other Russian airlines, looks grimmer than ever.

Even if they wanted to, Airbus and Boeing can’t supply Russian airlines with planes or even spare parts. Sanctions also affect other aerospace companies that supply Russian airlines, while aircraft lessors are looking for opportunities to seize back their property.

Airlines IT behemoth Sabre has cut off Aeroflot from its booking system, while the company could even disconnect the airline from its automation processes that effectively keep Aeroflot flying.

And then, of course, are the far reaching airspace bans on Russian planes – sanctions that have had a far bigger impact on Russia’s airlines than Western carriers that must now avoid Russian airspace.