Russia’s S7 Airlines has had its membership in the oneworld airline alliance suspended following President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The suspension came into effect on Tuesday, 19th April, but a spokesperson for oneworld said the move would likely have little impact on customers given the fact that passengers volumes are so low as a result of international sanctions against Russia that have targeted its aviation industry.
In a statement, the two parties said they had “agreed to a suspension of S7 Airlines’ membership in the alliance effective 19 April 2022, until further notice.”
S7 Airlines said the ability to earn and spend miles would continue to be available but reciprocal benefits offered to passengers will be withdrawn. Oneworld has already removed any mention of S7 Airlines from its website.
S7 Airlines is Russia’s second-largest carrier after Aeroflot and it has been a member of oneworld since 2010. Suspension from the alliance, however, had been widely expected following the invasion of Ukraine.
A slew of Western governments has banned Russian aircraft from entering their airspace as part of targeted sanctions against Russia. Both the European Union and the United Kingdom have also added Russian airlines to their so-called ‘Air Safety List’ of airlines that are banned over safety concerns. The British government says Russian carriers have been “actively promoting unsafe practices”.
In August 2020, S7 Airlines made headlines after Russia’s jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny became seriously ill on one of its aircraft on a domestic flight between Tomsk and Moscow. Navalny had been poisoned shortly before boarding the flight but the toxin didn’t take effect until after takeoff.
The flight diverted to the Siberian city of Omsk where Navalny was taken to hospital before being transferred to Germany for specialist treatment.
