These safety issues had become so endemic to the "Babyflot" airlines that in 1994 the International Air Transport Association took the unusual step of recommending trains for people traveling the former Soviet Union, as it was considered the least life-threatening form of conveyance.
[2] Several other carriers went out of business in 1995 due to low demand, as fewer passengers could afford to fly.
By 2000, Russia had only about eight federal air carriers and 40 to 45 regional airlines – down sharply from the current 315 carriers, said Ivan Valov, first deputy chief of the Russian Federal Aviation Service.
The "Babyflot" airlines have been blamed for a sharp decline in Russia's air safety.
Many of the crashes that occurred have been blamed on poor maintenance and lax controls at many small carriers, which have neglected flight safety in their run for profit.