Russian Airline S7 Co-Owner Dies in Airplane Crash in Germany

By Jesse Sokolow on 31 March 2019
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DSC_0505The co-owner and chairman of S7, Russia’s second largest airline, died in a private plane crash near Frankfurt on Sunday, the company said.

Natalia Fileva was in an Epic-LT single-engine turboprop aircraft that was landing at Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport in Hesse, at around 3:30 p.m. local time. The flight had originated in Cannes.

Ms. Fileva was the largest shareholder in S7, an airline that was founded in 1957 as the Tolmachevo Squadron of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of the Soviet Union. It was privatized in 1992 as Siberia Airlines and rebranded as S7 in 2005.

The death of Ms. Fileva, who is said to have a personal fortune of $600 million, was confirmed in a statement by S7.

“S7 Group team extends sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Fileva’s family and loved ones,” the company said. “The memory of her as an inspiring and sympathetic leader and a wonderful person will forever stay in the hearts of all S7 Group employees. It is an irreparable loss.”

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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