Tatiana Fileva, who is a co-owner of S7, Russia’s biggest private airline, and the daughter of its founders Natalia and Vladislav Filev, has been working at S7 Group for over 14 years. Until October 2022, she was the CEO during turbulent times such as the covid-related sky closure and its aftermath. Even though the business belonged to her parents, she started as an analyst and later took on roles involving marketing, commerce, and the loyalty program.
Tatyana has been the COO at S7 Group since 2016, and in 2019 she became the Chairman of the Board of Directors of S7 Airlines. This happened shortly after her mother Natalia died in a private plane crash near Frankfurt am Main on March 31, 2019.
A graduate of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University, Fileva enjoys piloting and is passionate about aircraft engine structure. She also works to challenge gender stereotypes in aviation and create new opportunities for female engineers, mechanics, and pilots. During the crisis years, Tatyana, together with the team, overhauled the network, the IT system, and negotiated with both Western partners and the state to save the business. After stepping down as CEO, Tatyana Fileva remained a shareholder and focused on social projects and supporting women. In 2023, she became a jury member of the Forbes Woman Mercury Awards.
— You resigned as CEO in October. Why did you make this decision? How much did the events of 2022 affect you?
— In late February 2022, something happened that I didn't expect and couldn't even imagine. I remember that on February 26, a meeting was held by the Ministry of Transport, attended by representatives of all airlines, who were completely bewildered and unsure how to proceed. I felt equally bewildered. After this meeting, we had a family discussion where my dad asked if I was ready to move on, realizing the severity of the situation. I was afraid of letting my mother down, who had built the company and believed in us as a family. I made the decision to stand by the company. I then arranged for my grandson to live with my husband's parents during the most difficult period.
– What did you learn at the meeting and why did you react the way you did? What became clear to you about the future of S7 and aviation this year?
— At the first meeting on February 26, no specific decisions were made. Initially, everyone was just confused and solutions came later.
And then we stood, it was difficult, sometimes we just quit, but we managed. I realized that it was extremely important at that time to stay with the team. I saw other airlines' leaders leaving at the start of March, the management started to change. But our core team survived – these are people who have been working at S7 for almost their entire lives, many from university. Together we somehow stabilized the situation. I mentioned to a small group at the end of March that when the situation improves, I will step down from the position of CEO and operations manager.
– Why?
The first reason is that I am very exhausted from being an operations manager. I have been with the company for 14 years. In 2019, my mother had an accident, and two weeks later I had to go to the office and address the employees. She was not just my mother, she was an inspiration for the whole company, a mother figure for everyone. And I needed to speak to people so they could see that we will get through this. When I went out to address the employees, I said something, but inside I felt empty.
Then 2020 happened – covid, business collapses by 90% in one month with a complete lack of understanding of what will happen next. And now the crisis years are coming, they just exhaled a little – and then 2022 has come. And you must understand that working in a company with more than 10,000 people means making unpopular decisions all the time during a crisis. And at the same time work with people every day. I said that I want to take a break when we stabilize the work. For me, rest means a change of activity.
The second reason: even before February, I planned to start a number of new projects in 2023, which turned out to be impossible under the new circumstances. S7 is not only an airline, it is a large number of businesses, and it is very difficult to think about new launches when you are an operating officer in the current conditions. For example, in 2022, our regional low-cost airline was supposed to take off, and in early February last year, we approved the purchase of additional cargo aircraft, which, of course, is now impossible due to market restrictions. Now we need to solve other problems. And I’m still young and I know what I can create. And it seems like now is the right time for me to try it.
The third reason: I knew for sure that we have a good person, a great professional who will become the next CEO. Dmitry Kudelkin has been with the company for almost 20 years, he started with us in Novosibirsk, and in recent years he has been the COO. That is why his candidacy was well received in the company, he has an excellent reputation.
On October 21, I held a board of directors, where I reported on the good results of the year and there I proposed the candidacy of a new CEO.
– You say the word “stabilized”, what do you mean by that? What exactly did you do? What happened to the company in 2022, how has its work changed?
— What did we do? We rebuilt the route network, changed IT tools, did an immense amount of work with people. An effective subsidy program appeared in the Ministry of Transport, which was aimed specifically at subsidizing passengers, that is, in fact, it was given for each flight. Thus, the state tried to keep low prices for the population, so the cost of flights, despite inflation, did not increase in 2022 compared to 2021.
Of course, we were affected when all the foreign contractors announced they were leaving. However, we had several significant advantages that we had established even before 2022 – our own maintenance, which we have been performing for many years at our bases in Russia, and our regional network. Besides Moscow, we have bases in Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, the Far East, which greatly aided us in rebuilding the network. After September 21, when mobilization was declared, a lot of work had to be done with people. We have a safety-oriented business, with a large number of men in all positions. For instance, in one day, we had two aircraft damaged by equipment on the platform, and we had to somehow calm people down, as they were under tremendous stress.
— Has the fact that S7 still has a large percentage of domestic flights strongly influenced your work? How much did the sky close for you in 2022?
– You know, we always wanted to fly abroad, but it didn’t work out. To be honest, we have had almost no foreign flights since 2020. First, there was covid, and all foreign markets were closed. Then, when they began to reopen, priority was given to state-owned airlines, so we did not have time to restore foreign flights. We had the CIS, and we still fly to the CIS, but we did not have time to fly to Paris.
In 2022, we quickly rebuilt the network, and in terms of flight time, we set a record, as traffic shifted to flights within the country. Destinations such as Baikal and Altai intensified, not to mention the south – Sochi was opened, and the traffic there grew significantly.
– The most common passenger concern is the quality of aircraft and maintaining that quality without foreign partners. How did you solve this problem? How do you ensure aircraft safety and quality now?
— I won’t delve into details, but I can say that we have been performing maintenance for many years on our own within the country and continue to do so; the planes are safe. We wouldn’t fly them if they weren’t safe. We have the largest aircraft maintenance center in the country and a fairly strong regulator in this field. My son only flies S7 in Russia because I know for sure that we have high standards and it is safe with us.
— S7 was the first and only company so far allowed by the government to return imported planes to foreign lessors. How was this achieved?
“You have to understand that in the current situation, we do not decide which planes stay in the country and which ones leave. This is a decision of the government of the Russian Federation and various authorities. We returned two Boeing 737 Max, these planes are not allowed to fly in Russia, and they have been on the ground for several years. So, we could say: “Well, the planes are sitting, we can't fly them; can we at least return them?” The process took eight months, and it was not an easy story. The airline does not control what is returned and what is not. Airlines can make an effort in some paperwork if instructed to do so.
– It seems like you had a year of extreme contrast, having to handle major issues with Russian officials while also negotiating with Western partners to address similar processes. How did it happen?
– When it comes to our Western partners, they understood the situation we are in: we do not control many decisions, they are made at other levels. So in negotiations with them, we mostly reached an understanding and tried to at least settle something.
In terms of working with government agencies within the country, we need to recognize that we are a private company. And, of course, there have always been various subsidy programs for the Far East, for interregional transportation, and we collaborated with the state on them. But it was a clear interaction on a linear level. And in 2022, especially in the first months, there were many different industry meetings where representatives of all companies were invited. The question on the agenda was simple: how to help the industry? Everyone was extremely puzzled and together they tried to figure out how to maintain transport accessibility in the country.
It has always been challenging for me, as a private trader, because we usually did not participate in these. But, on the other hand, there were many people at these meetings, and the floor is usually given to a state-owned company. And I sat in shock, then with a smile, then I tried to reach out so that they would not forget about us. And I was probably the only woman there besides the secretaries. But in our country, there is still such a thing that a woman in need needs help. And now I’m not talking about any kind of gender equality at all, because when you sit next to such people, this is no longer a question about men and women. There is a hierarchy there: these men are not equal to other men at the top. And at my level, I was a “woman in need” for them, so after the meetings they asked how to help me, tried to explain some details: for example, I did not really understand the mechanism for refinancing loans. Because I, as a representative of a private company, did not understand many things, I simply did not come across them before. And all this, of course, is about gender inequality, which, nevertheless, sometimes helps you in such situations.
– Based on the draft state budget until 2025, next year the special subsidies paid to airlines through the Ministry of Transport will be reduced to 25 billion rubles from the current 100 billion rubles. As a result, carriers will receive less than 54 billion rubles under the main subsidy programs, which is almost three times less than in 2022. Will Russian aviation be able to survive in such conditions? What are your overall predictions?
– When it comes to subsidizing, one must recognize that the program was aimed precisely at the passenger, at the passenger-kilometers that he actually flew. This was the position of those who formed this program: we want to stimulate demand. And this program was effective, as I said. The Ministry of Transport said it plans to carry 101 million passengers in 2023, an increase in domestic traffic compared to previous years.
How to stay alive? We are a company that is used to doing things independently. But we need to realize that ticket prices and demand volume will be influenced by subsidies. Higher price means less demand. And because the government subsidized passenger fares, they were able to buy tickets at 2021 prices.
— What do you predict for the future of the industry? In which direction will the airplanes go?
— It seems to me that a significant change has occurred: engineers are now more valued than bloggers. Currently, all engineering skills are very important, and there is a lot of discussion about the domestic aircraft industry. Eventually, it will develop with the right timing and investment. The strong engineering competence of S7 has always been a great help to us, with 2500 engineers.
Where is the industry heading? It will inevitably move towards the domestic aircraft industry and the use of domestic planes. The speed of this movement remains to be seen. Current aircraft can still be flown for 10-12 years with proper maintenance, so the domestic aviation industry should progress during this time.
My stance is this: if more than one airline remains in the country (and I hope the country realizes that one airline cannot handle all the passengers), then we will survive. We have been performing well, despite the challenges of covid and 2022. Of course, I have a strong impostor complex, which is more pronounced in women. I remember when in March 2020, I realized that we were either stopping or the business was declining to 5-10% of its former volume. I wondered: how can I handle this? But gradually, we managed to maintain the business and tackle the tasks. Seeing the results of our efforts helped to diminish the impostor complex.
— Have you considered what your mother would do in your position over the past year? And how do you think she would react to the country's current situation?
— She would always believe and encourage others to also believe and fight for what we do. And we are excelling, better than anyone else in the country. So, we need to keep going.
— Throughout your tenure as CEO, there were upheavals in the industry, constant turbulence, and the country was in crisis. What have you discovered about yourself as a leader and as a person during this time?
— Firstly, all the main obstacles are within you, in your mind. Yes, there are many difficulties and external problems, but they will always exist. Overcoming the impostor complex has been a major challenge for me. In 2022, men came forward and said: this is not a woman's business, we will handle it. However, after the mobilization on September 21, we see that the economy is now heavily reliant on women.
I often feel like I am pretending: I am a young woman who did not live in the 1990s or experience what the men in my meetings did. But as I keep moving forward, I realize that while I continue, they have already stopped. This builds my confidence.
Once I overheard you passionately and intricately describing how a Boeing engine works in a casual setting. It left a strong impression on me. Plus, you are a pilot yourself. Do you feel the need, as a female leader, to constantly prove your expertise in the aviation industry, or is it simply a family passion?
I don't understand why someone would do something they don't enjoy. My whole family is in aviation, and I love flying. It's amazing, but many people don't take this path because of their different lives. Do you think I did it just to earn respect? I'm not sure. Maybe it was when my dad suggested I attend the Mechanics and Mathematics Department of Moscow State University to be taken seriously. And so I did.
My passion for airplanes just naturally developed. I have a deep understanding of them, perhaps better than most people in the country. It's a job I love very much.
You have been increasingly focusing on gender equality in aviation and beyond. Thanks to your efforts, as of March 1, 2022, women can now work as aircraft maintenance mechanics. To what extent is aviation in Russia still a professional field that is not open to women?
Let me start with the global situation: in developed countries, female pilots make up only about 5% of the total. So, it's fair to say that aviation is still a highly male-dominated industry worldwide. For instance, the Australian airline Qantas leads in gender equality with almost 12% female pilots. But that's still far from 50%. In Lufthansa, I believe it's around 6% and even less in Emirates, at under 2%. Why is aviation still seen as a male industry globally? It's because it is associated with the image of reliability, and in the stereotypical view, that's still a man.
Russia is no different; if anything, we have even more stereotypes. As a female pilot and leader, I would like to see more gender equality in aviation. You mentioned the profession of a mechanic – we were the ones who pushed for it to be taken off the list of prohibited professions at a legal level and even set up a changing room specifically for female mechanics. However, so far only one woman has taken up the profession.
Why is this? Is it because of the lack of relevant education? Or are they afraid?
It needs to be promoted more, because otherwise women are simply unaware of their potential. We have a female pilot who retrained from being a flight attendant, for example. There are many inspiring stories of women that need to be shared. Right now, it's still a male-dominated industry that women are not entering.
Each pilot I spoke to admitted that during the process of becoming a pilot, they had to go through several interviews. Almost every person they talked to asked them why they wanted to become a pilot. This question didn't stop them from pursuing their goals but it did shake their confidence and motivation.
So, at S7 we are constantly creating new initiatives to improve the situation. For instance, we built a kindergarten near Domodedovo for our pilots and flight attendants who have irregular shifts so they can leave their children there. We are now considering implementing this practice in Novosibirsk, allowing women to leave their children there for the entire day while they work their shifts.
It's often said that there are few women in professions like aviation due to the physical demands and risks to reproductive functions. Are these beliefs just stereotypes or are there real factors at play in aviation?
With modern technology, these are just stereotypes. It used to be challenging for women to fly an airplane, but now even I can do it. The real issue now is the non-standard schedules and constant travel, which makes it difficult for women who want to start a family. However, all our equipment is modern, and we even have female mechanics. I really hope we can continue to train more women in this field.
What structural changes need to happen in the industry to make aviation more accessible to women?
It's important for companies to remove obstacles for women related to family responsibilities and provide flexible options for employees with children. Many women are willing to work, but they struggle with finding childcare, especially single mothers. There is an increasing number of women who are raising children alone, so special programs are needed to help them with everyday issues.
Another challenge is attracting girls to the profession and demonstrating its accessibility, as well as providing them with the necessary education.
One of your pilots, Sophia, mentioned that even in a progressive airline, women in her position encounter stereotypes from male pilots. She said that after proving herself, her male cockpit partner had nothing to say to her. Do you believe that competence always triumphs over stereotypes?
If you are given the opportunity to prove your abilities, then competence can win. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are situations where your professionalism may not be fully recognized. Women often face professional barriers, but in most cases, their expertise can help overcome them. The question is whether they are given the chance to showcase their professionalism.
My grandmother had a similar experience. At 23, she had 300 subordinates at the factory where she worked. Despite her hard work, a less experienced and qualified man was promoted over her just because she was a woman. Such scenarios still exist today. Professionalism indeed breaks down many barriers, and we must keep striving, otherwise we cannot succeed.
— So, if I understand correctly, you plan to focus on social projects and diversity strategy while still being a shareholder of the company, right?
– I stepped down as CEO in October and currently I'm on vacation, not actively involved in the company. I'm focusing on social projects as I believe it's crucial for humanity's progression in the right direction.
– How can I convince the board of directors, chief accountant, and commercial director in 2023 that the company should allocate funds to social projects instead of saving the business?
– It mainly depends on the overall culture in the company and the messages from its management. Let me illustrate with an example: last April, I took a vacation and worked as a volunteer for refugees. It was a remarkable experience for me. When I returned and shared my experience, it resonated with many in the company. People want to contribute and do good. Providing them a reason to engage in beneficial activities is crucial.
I realized from this trip that small acts of kindness lead to significant impact. I once heard in a song: “Love is cheap, but the skin is expensive.” The little acts of kindness should not be undervalued.
Afterward, I spoke with our HR and marketing teams and saw their willingness to participate in positive initiatives. For instance, we supported the GirlPower football school.
— You supported a women’s football team in the midst of global chaos. What motivated this decision?
– In the spring, I felt completely helpless. It seemed like I was making efforts but achieving nothing. I discovered a girls’ football team with over 70% from low-income families. Their foreign sponsors had withdrawn all support, leaving the coaches unpaid for months. I saw this as an opportunity to make a difference and break gender stereotypes.
Furthermore, sports will offer valuable support to these girls during challenging times. Having been a professional athlete myself, this project goes against the values I have always advocated for. Additionally, I was captivated by the concept of having S7 on the girls' uniforms instead of the usual airline logos, typically seen on men’s teams around the world. This summer, we organized a football camp called “Chance”, which helped the girls secure spots in professional teams.
How has your life changed since leaving office and what are your plans? They wrote that you are in San Francisco.
– At the moment I am in Moscow, and while I am here, but I really flew to the USA. I just recently went on vacation. Now I fly on an airplane and gain strength and ideas. I have to fly an instrument flight program for an aircraft pilot, which I will do today.
