▁records ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ 1 1 8 ▁carri ers ▁went ▁out ▁of ▁business ▁because ▁fewer ▁passengers ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁fly ▁than ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Russia ▁had ▁only ▁about ▁eight ▁federal ▁air ▁carri ers ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁to ▁ 4 5 ▁regional ▁air lines ▁– ▁down ▁sharp ly ▁from ▁the ▁current ▁ 3 1 5 ▁carri ers , ▁said ▁Ivan ▁Val ov , ▁first ▁deput y ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Federal ▁A viation ▁Service . ▁The ▁government ▁began ▁to ▁restrict ▁lic ens ing ▁and ▁cert ification ▁and ▁bring ▁air - s af ety ▁standards ▁into ▁comp liance ▁with ▁international ▁standards . ▁The ▁" B aby fl ot " ▁air lines ▁have ▁been ▁bl amed ▁for ▁a ▁sharp ▁decl ine ▁in ▁Russia ' s ▁air ▁safety . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁crashes ▁that ▁occurred ▁have ▁been ▁bl amed ▁on ▁poor ▁maintenance ▁and ▁la x ▁controls ▁at ▁many ▁small ▁carri ers , ▁which ▁have ▁neglect ed ▁flight ▁safety ▁in ▁their ▁run ▁for ▁profit . ▁ ▁The ▁eight ▁hundred - odd ▁" B aby fl ot " ▁air lines ▁had ▁such ▁poor ▁safety ▁records ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁the ▁International ▁Air ▁Transport ▁Association ▁took ▁the ▁unusual ▁step ▁of ▁recomm ending ▁train ▁travel ▁as ▁the ▁least ▁life - th re aten ing ▁form ▁of ▁convey ance ▁in ▁the ▁former ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁baby fl ots ▁▁▁ 2 nd ▁Ar kh angel sk ▁United ▁A viation