Breaking up Aeroflot: The Russian Aviation Industry's Post-Soviet Transformation

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/1c18dh30w

Abstract

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, so too did its aviation industry, which was subjected to the trials of privatization. The result was catastrophe on a massive scale, as passenger numbers plummeted and the new Russia became one of the most dangerous places in the world to fly on board a commercial airplane. An analysis of the data along with numerous individual case studies reveals how problems that arose as a direct result of privatization led to this mass reversal of the Soviet Union’s once-improving aviation safety record. Simultaneously, deeper social problems which contributed to this systemic breakdown are revealed by applying theories of communication by notable Russian semioticists to the specific conditions of Russian aviation. Together, these two frames of analysis paint a comprehensive picture of how and why aviation in Russia embarked on its disastrous post-Soviet trajectory.

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