Too long the butt of jokes, Russia’s biggest airline Aeroflot is aiming to shed its Soviet-era image by retraining flight attendants, hiring stylists and updating its menu regularly.
“Aeroflot still breeds this misconception which is rooted in the Soviet era when everyone thought that Aeroflot equals bad quality,” Chief Executive Officer Vitaly Savelyev told news agency Bloomberg. “Now it’s a totally different company, and in terms of on-board service we are not a step behind world leaders in the segment.”
Aeroflot was founded in the 1920s and was the world’s largest airline during the Soviet era, flying only Soviet-built aircraft. The airline’s fleet today averages just 3-4 years-old and consists mostly of Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Despite the changes, the company continues to fight an image of surly flight attendants and ragged aircraft.
Service has improved substantially since the collapse of the Soviet Union almost 20 years ago, when cabin crews spoke few languages other than Russian, offered mediocre food and rarely smiled at passengers, said Alex Kazbegi, a Moscow-based analyst with Renaissance Capital Financial. Kazbegi said he now prefers Aeroflot’s business class to British Airways Plc and Lufthansa.
Last year, the company sent 50 flight attendants to Singapore’s Mil-Com Aerospace Group for training. Several of those cabin-crew members now serve as trainers for other Aeroflot workers. Aeroflot also retained stylists to advise male and female attendants on grooming and appearance, Savelyev said. They offered tips on makeup, skin care and hairstyles, he said.
“This does cost a lot of money,” the CEO said. “But we do believe this investment will pay back.”
