MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the staff of the Rossiya special aviation group responsible for transporting the country’s top leadership on its 65th anniversary, noting its courage and top-notch professionalism.

"In the history of your enterprise, there are a lot of bright and heroic instances of true courage, self-sacrifice and dedication to duty," Putin said in his congratulatory telegram.

From the first days it was established, the aviation group took an active part in mastering domestic airliners and is currently the largest operator of Russian civilian aircraft, Putin stressed.

"You work under any and sometimes very complex conditions and shoulder enormous responsibility for the safety of passengers," the Russian leader pointed out.

As Putin said, thanks to the specialists’ "competence, excellent skills and experience," "all the assigned tasks are solved with efficiency and speed, at a top-notch professional level."

The head of the Russian state said he was especially grateful to the aviation group’s veterans who help "keep up and augment the glorious traditions of the air fleet." Putin wished the staff and veterans of the Rossiya special aviation group "splendid health, continued achievements and clear skies."

Head of the Presidential Administrative Directorate Alexander Kolpakov also congratulated the Rossiya aviation group on its anniversary. He said that the Rossiya special-designated aviation group subordinate to the Presidential Administrative Directorate was distinguished by "its great professionalism and readiness to deliver passengers and cargoes to any point in the world under very complicated conditions."

The Rossiya special aviation group of the Russian presidential administration is responsible for the aircraft of the country’s president, the president-elect, the prime minister of Russia, the speakers of the State Duma and the Federation Council, the heads of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, the Prosecutor General, the chairman of the Investigative Committee, the head of the Kremlin administration and the Russian foreign minister.

The history of the Rossiya special aviation group dates back to 1956 when the USSR’s top officials changed military planes flown by Air Force pilots for airliners of a special-designated air team set up within Aeroflot at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. The team was subsequently called Separate Aviation Group No. 235. The state transport company Rossiya was established on its basis in 1995 and a special-purpose aviation group subordinate to the presidential administration was spun off from it in 2009.

The Russian presidential special aviation group is celebrating its 65th anniversary on May 5.