The leading Russian airline Aeroflot decided to reward the crew of SU1515 following an attempted hijacking on January 22nd during the flight from Surgut to Moscow.
Following a decision by the management of Aeroflot, the following crew members received the Aeroflot Excellence Award, the company’s highest corporate honour. for their devotion to duty, courage and heroism in an emergency situation:
- Rustam Tsybakin, Captain;
- Vladislav Kulik, Co-pilot;
- Eva Kraychek, senior flight attendant;
- Maria Nikulina, flight attendant.
The following crew members were awarded certificates of honour for professionalism and personal qualities:
- Leila Gulieva, flight attendant;
- Ekaterina Zolotaya, flight attendant;
- Tatiana Ferapontova, flight attendant;
- Igor Zaykov, Aeroflot’s representative in Khanty-Mansiysk.
All crew members and the airline’s representative in Khanty-Mansiysk received one-time bonuses.
On 22 January 2019, one of the passengers of the Surgut -Moscow flight threatened crew members and demanded that the plane be diverted to a different country. Crew members were able to convince him that the aircraft needed to make an interim stop at Khanty-Mansiysk airport. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that flight captain made the most appropriate decision in the circumstances.
As a result, the passenger was detained. No passengers or crew members were injured during the incident.
“The crew of the Surgut-Moscow flight are real heroes,” Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said at the award ceremony. “They didn’t know whether the perpetrator presented a real threat, had accomplices or was armed. All their actions were aimed at ensuring passenger safety. In an emergency situation like this they did not lose their calm and acted in an exemplary manner. They show just how good the Russian school of aviation is.”
Vitaly Saveliev also thanked the passengers of flight SU1515 for their composure in a highly sensitive situation: “Passengers managed to avoid panic and trusted in our team – we truly appreciate this.”
