On June 22, 2015, the official presentation of a joint project of the Amur Tiger Center and Transaero Airlines took place at the Moscow Vnukovo Airport. Its goal is to draw the attention of the international and Russian public to the issues of environmental protection and the preservation of rare and endangered species of animals.
As part of the project, known as the Striped Flight, the wide-body long-haul Transaero aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 with a capacity of 447 passengers, acquired characteristic tiger features. In accordance with the idea that was born and received its practical implementation in Transaero, the nose of the aircraft was decorated with an image of the head of the Amur tiger, which has no analogues in world civil aviation. Over time, the tiger color will also receive individual details of the interior of the passenger compartment. The painting of the ship was held with the financial support of COALCO.
The fact that the symbol of the project has become the Amur tiger is quite natural. After all, this is the largest cat on Earth and one of the rarest representatives of the cat family. According to the data of the survey conducted in 2015, the number of Amur tigers in Russia in the wild has stabilized at around 510-540 individuals, and its gradual growth has begun.
It was possible to stop the decline in the population and move on to its increase thanks to the consistent solution of the tasks set by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at the Tigrin Summit 2010. An important role was also played by the improvement of the regulatory framework, increased responsibility for the hunting of animals listed in the Red Book, the revitalization of law enforcement agencies and intensive information work.
In the coming decade, the fate of Amur tigers and the entire natural complex will largely depend on concerted action by the world community. That is why the joint project of the Amur Tiger Center and Transaero Airlines will be held under the motto: "Let's save nature together".
The flights of the Transaero aircraft with unique symbols on the most popular passenger routes, as evidenced by the experience of the airline, will cause an increased public interest in our country and abroad, will give a new impetus to discuss the problem of preserving and increasing the population of Amur tigers and other rare animals living on the territory of Russia.
During the implementation of the joint project, great attention will be paid to educational activities. So, in the logbooks of Transaero, as well as on the official pages of the airline, a special heading “Wildlife” will appear on social networks. She will talk about the problems of protection of the Amur tiger and other animals that ensure the unique nature of the domestic fauna. In flight, passengers of the Striped Flight will have the opportunity to watch documentaries prepared by the Amur Tiger Center.
“One of the tasks solved by the Amur Tiger Center is to draw attention to the problems of the conservation of the Amur tiger and the threats that this large but very vulnerable beast has to face. And we are pleased that in the matter of respect for nature and popularization of the image of the “master of the taiga”, we found like-minded friends in the person of Transaero Airlines. The Striped Flight project is a vivid example of precisely friendly partnership and readiness to realize good undertakings by joint efforts.” – Andrew Smirnov, Director General of the Amur Tiger Center.
“For our airline, participation in a joint project with the Amur Tiger Center is a logical continuation of the policy that the company pursues in the field of corporate and environmental responsibility. Careful conservation of wildlife is a task that should not leave anyone indifferent. Only by combining the efforts of people of goodwill, aware of their responsibility for the future of our planet, can we ensure the harmonious development of the present and future generations of the inhabitants of the Earth.” – Olga Pleshakova, General Director of Transaero Airlines.