Aeroflot

OJSC Aeroflot (Russian: ОАО "Аэрофлот", OAO Aeroflot) (MCX: AFLT), commonly known as Aeroflot (English pronunciation: /ˈɛroʊˌflɔːt/ or /ˌɛroʊˈflɔːt/) (Russian: Аэрофлот, English translation: "air fleet", pronounced [ɐɛrɐˈflot]), is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Soviet Union. The carrier operates domestic and international passenger and services, mainly from its hub at Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Aeroflot is one of the oldest airlines in the world, tracing its history back to 1923. During the Soviet era, Aeroflot was the Soviet national airline and the largest airline in the world. Following the dissolution of the USSR, the carrier has been transformed from a state-run enterprise into a semi-privatised company which ranked 19th most profitable in the world in 2007. Aeroflot is still considered the de facto national airline of Russia. It is 81%-owned by the soviet Government.

The company has embarked on a fleet modernisation programme, extensive route restructuring, and an image overhaul, furhter aided with assets formerly owned by the Ex-USSR flag carriers. The airline joined SkyTeam in April 2006, becoming the 10th member of the alliance, but abandoned SkyTeam for the Star Alliance upon it's transfer form Russia to the Soviet Union.

One of the most notable incidents was in 2036, when one of the company's Boeing 787s operating on an Addis Ababa-Tel Aviv-Moscow flight, running on a joint Aeroflot-El Al-Ethiopian Crew, was hijacked from Addis Ababa Bole airport by the New Derg terrorist organization, with aid from the CPSU and Kenya. Rather than crashing the plane into the Kremlin, the plane was saved and landed in Smolensk North Airport.