Aeroflot-Nord fell to the ground
One of Aeroflot-Nord’s new Boeing 737-500 aircrafts yesterday crashed during landing in Perm, Western Siberia. 88 people, among them 22 foreigners, citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the United States and Norway tragically died in the accident.
The aircraft, a part of the company’s new fleet of U.S. made aircrafts, is the same as now used all over Northwest Russia.
Meanwhile, the Aeroflot-Nord company is in the process of disconnecting itself from its mother company Aeroflot. According to general director of Aeroflot Valerii Okulev, Aeroflot-Nord will from today, 15 September, not be allowed to use the Aeroflot name. The decision to loosen ties between the two companies was taken long before this weekend’s accident, the director says.
Aeroflot-Nord is the biggest airline company in Northwest Russia. It is based on the acquisition of the company Arkhangelsk Airlines in 2004.
Witnesses say the aircraft was on fire when approaching the Perm Airport. –It looked like a meteorite, a man living close to the site, told newspaper Kommersant.
Aeroflot-Nord, an enterprise 51 percent owned by national airline major Aeroflot, plans to acquire 22 new Boeing 737-500 by 2010. The U.S. made planes are to take over the company’s aging fleet of Tu-154 and Tu-134. Today, the company has eight Boeing 737s, four Tu-154, 13 Tu-134 and six An-24, the website of the company informs.
ll passengers were killed in the crash, of them citizens of Russia, France, Germany, Italy, the United States and Norway. Among the dead is Gennadii Troshev, former commander of the armed forces in Chechnya and 22 foreigners.
