"Aeroflot" on December 7-9, canceled 138 flights to / from the airport "Sheremetyevo", citing unfavorable weather conditions. Since the first to the ninth of October it canceled 262 flights in Moscow. Daily "Aeroflot" carries out more than 600 flights to / from "Sheremetyevo".

"Abnormal weather conditions mean an increased burden on the airport services: during difficult weather conditions (freezing rain, storm, intense snowfall) bandwidth bands due to the need to clean the snow is reduced from 55 to 32 take-off and landing operations (VPO) per hour. As the base airline "Sheremetyevo", "Aeroflot" creates your schedule based on the 47-48 VPO. Also on the turnover of the aircraft affects the need for the anti-icing liquid handling ", - explained the press service of" Aeroflot ". The representative of "Sheremetyevo" confirmed a reduction in capacity in the current weather conditions. Over the past two years the airport by 62% updated their snow removal park, clearing the airfield is now out of 70 pieces of equipment - all this has allowed to reduce the closing strip on the clearance from 45 to 15 minutes.

Some flights canceled to avoid traffic jams, which is able to permanently block the work of the airline and the airport, said the representative of "Aeroflot". Established companies forecasters analyze meteorological picture, and if it is assessed as unfavorable, then advance, sometimes a few days, an adjustment of flight plan - for the services of Roshydromet this year "Aeroflot" will pay about 450 million rubles.

Early warnings allow to reduce inconvenience to passengers, who can adjust their plans and avoid unnecessary congestion at the airport.

Other airlines flying to the "Sheremetyevo", the mass did not cancel flights because of the weather. However, "Aeroflot" generates more than 80% of passenger traffic "Sheremetyevo" and a large number of flights no longer performs this airport. In other Moscow airports - "Vnukovo" and "Domodedovo" - low in December due to weather conditions are not canceled. In mid-November during a cold snap significant number of flights from Moscow also canceled only "Aeroflot".

The fight against the collapse or costs?

Why is that? Two Moscow airport manager and manager of major airlines admit the theory that "Aeroflot" on the pretext of weather cancels flights for which tickets sold little, in order to reduce costs. another airline manager is sure that the reason for cancellations is this: it's obvious, all the Moscow air hub (UIA) is working, and only "Aeroflot" interferes with the weather! The representative of "Aeroflot" categorically denies. "These allegations have nothing to do with reality," - he said, acknowledging that this version is now being actively discussed in social networks.

"Aeroflot" - the largest Russian carrier. In 2014, the group - it is composed of six airlines - transported 34.7 million passengers. Service second largest airline "Transaero" for the year benefited 13.2 million people. In the first half of 2015 a group of "Aeroflot" took 31.2% of the travel market (the company provided services to 17.9 million people), "Transaero" - 11.4% (5.8 million people).

"A comparison of the situation in the" Sheremetyevo "and other airports of the Moscow aviation hub incorrectly. They differ in terms of throughput and the actual volume of work performed. Suffice it to say that in the past day, 7 December, 709 were carried out in the period of bad weather in the "Sheremetyevo" VPO - more than in any other capital airport, "- adds a representative of the company.

"The practice of thinning schedules in bad weather conditions typical of many major European airlines in the hubs. When abnormal weather occur even slight delays in servicing vessels that accumulate, shift the entire schedule and may lead to collapse, "- says the Moscow Airport senior manager (not" Sheremetyevo "). Especially those known US airlines, airports in the US in a very tight schedule - the weather is getting worse, and they did not hesitate to cancel the part of the flight, said a top manager of a major airline.

It's all still in the weather, I'm sure the other top manager of a Moscow airport: a lot depends on where the cyclone is: now it is moving to the north and to the "Vnukovo" from "Domodedovo" almost does not reach; It is that we are, and "Sheremetyevo" works.

What to cancel?

"Aeroflot" cancels both domestic and international flights. In the last three days, when the cancellation was the most widespread, the most popular destinations under the knife did not fall - Paris, London, Rome, Milan, Tel Aviv, Almaty, Astana, New York, Prague. They "Aeroflot" Russian monopolist. Although in early December were canceled flights to Paris, Rome, Alma-Ata. "The decision on cancellation of a number of flights due to weather conditions adopted for hedging, to avoid a possible collapse. But then, of course, look for and choose the least loaded cancel flights, those whose passengers can be transported earlier or later sides in this direction is not organizing additional flights, "- says a person close to the group of" Aeroflot ".

"In the first [when the decision to cancel flights] takes into account the weather conditions at a particular time and situation with peaks at the airport" Sheremetyevo ". A weak loading of aircraft is considered only as an additional factor, "- he said at today's press conference, deputy director of" Aeroflot "Vadim Zingman (according to" Interfax quoted ").