Smartavia

Smartavia, formerly known as Nordavia (until March 2019), is a Russian low-cost airline with its head office in Arkhangelsk, Russia.[2] It mainly operates scheduled domestic and regional services. Its main bases are Arkhangelsk Airport, Pulkovo Airport (Saint Petersburg), and Sheremetyevo International Airport, serving Moscow.[3] Smartavia is a joint-stock company.

Not to be confused with Smartwings.
Smartavia
IATA ICAO Callsign
5N AUL ARCHANGELSK AIR
Founded
  • 1963 (as a squadron)
    1991 (as an independent airline)
    2019 (as Smartavia)
Hubs
Fleet size15
Destinations50
Parent companySky Invest[1]
HeadquartersArkhangelsk, Russian Federation
Websiteflysmartavia.com

History
Aeroflot-Nord logo, 2004-2009
Nordavia logo, 2009–2019
A Smartavia Boeing 737-500 in the former livery, operated by the former brand Aeroflot-Nord

The airline was formed in 1963 as Arkhangelsk United Aviation Squadron (Russian: Архангельский объединенный авиационный отряд) and became AVL Arkhangelsk Airlines (Архангельские воздушные линии) in 1991.

Under Aeroflot

In August 2004 Aeroflot acquired 51% of the airline, with the rest being held by Aviainvest. The company was renamed Aeroflot-Nord, becoming Aeroflot's second regional airline.[4]

Since the contract with Aeroflot ended on 1 December 2009, the airline has operated independently as Nordavia.[5] Because of the bad press the subsidiary received following the Aeroflot Flight 821 disaster, and Russian aviation officials' 15 July 2009 imposition of restrictions (including a ban on international charter tours) on then Aeroflot-Nord flight operations due to insufficient security and bad finances, Aeroflot has distanced itself from Nordavia.[6]

Partnership with NordStar

In March 2011, Aeroflot sold the airline to Norilsk Nickel for a reported US$7 million. On December 1, 2011, Norilsk Nickel reported that Nordavia is to be merged in Taimyr Air Company.[7] However, the Federal Antimonopoly Service blocked the merge of Nordavia with Taimyr Air Company, and Nordavia was ultimately sold to Sergey Kuznetsov, the owner of Red Wings Airlines, in March 2016.[8]

Partnership with Red Wings Airlines

To increase business power, Red Wings Airlines and Nordavia decided to merge.[9] In April 2017, under Red Wings' ownership, it was announced that the airline would change its name to SmartAvia from Q3 2017. In addition to the new brand, the airline planned to also introduce a new livery, still in Nordavia's colors (blue, orange, gray) but with a design that moves away from its Aeroflot ancestry.[10] The new branding was planned to debut on the airline's Airbus A320-200 aircraft, however these aircraft were instead delivered to Red Wings after the airline decided to continue using its Boeing 737 aircraft, accepting its first Boeing 737-700 in May 2018, by then still retaining its Nordavia name and brand identity.[11][12]

Restructuring to Smartavia

On 20 March 2019, it was announced that the merging of Nordavia with Red Wings airlines was canceled.[13] Instead, the airline is renamed to Smartavia, as part of re-branding. The airline will operate the aircraft under Nordavia brand until the end of 2019. The first aircraft with Smartavia livery arrived in April 2019.[14]

By 2021, the airline retired all of its Boeing 737-500 and in April 2021, the airline began their replacement with new Airbus A320neo, officially announcing the end of two-year re-branding from Nordavia to Smartavia and becoming a low-cost carrier.[15]

On 28 May 2021, during a press-conference held in Kaliningrad, with presenting new Airbus A320neo, previously used by Mexican carrier Interjet, the airline announced the massive order expansion by 40 new Airbus aircraft and plans to phase out all Boeing 737 aircraft by 2023 and since then to operate only Airbus aircraft. In case of plan success, the airline will purchase Airbus A321neo by 2024.[16]

On 16 September 2021, the airline announced its base expansion plans: by Spring 2022, the airline plans to open its new hub at Moscow-Sheremetyevo, as well as to open bases in Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Samara and Sochi.[17]

Destinations
Main article: List of Smartavia destinations

Codeshare agreements

Smartavia Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet
A Smartavia Airbus A320neo

As of October 2021, the Smartavia fleet consists of the following aircraft:[19]

Smartavia fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A320neo 4[15] —[16] — 180 180[20]
Boeing 737-700 3 — — 142 142
Boeing 737-800 9 — — 189 189 The first aircraft to wear SmartAvia livery.[21][22]
Total 15 —

Historical fleet
An Aeroflot-Nord Tupolev Tu-134A

Smartavia has previously operated the following aircraft:[23][24]

Smartavia historical fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Antonov An-24 1991 2008
Boeing 737-300 2006 2011 Was transferred to NordStar in 2011
Boeing 737-500 2006 2020 Replaced by first Airbus A320neo order
Tupolev Tu-134A 1991 2008 Replaced by Boeing 737-500
Tupolev Tu-154B-2 1991 2009 Replaced by Boeing 737-500

Accidents and incidents
  • On 14 September 2008, Aeroflot Flight 821, flown under a combined service agreement with Aeroflot,[25] crashed on approach to Perm Airport, Russia. All 88 people on board, including six crew members, were killed.

References
  1. "Норникель" продал 100% акций авиакомпании "Нордавиа" ["Norilsk Nickel" has sold 100% of shares of "Nordavia" airlines] (in Russian).
  2. "Contact Us Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine." Smartavia. Retrieved on 29 June 2010. "Legal address: Russian Federation, 163053, Arkhangelsk, Talagi Airport." – "Контакты." Address in Russian: "163053, г. Архангельск, Аэропорт "Архангельск"."
  3. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 47.
  4. Flight International 27 March 2007
  5. "ERA Welcomes Aeroflot-Nord". European Regions Airline Association (ERA). 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  6. "Aeroflot-Nord in trouble". BarentsObserver. 2009-07-17. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  7. "Aviaport digest, Dec. 1st, 2011" (in Russian). Aviaport.ru. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  8. "Norilsk Nickel sold Nordavia". Vedomosti (in Russian). 18 March 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  9. "Авиакомпании Red Wings и "Нордавиа" объединятся". ato.ru. 16 October 2017.
  10. "News Russia's Nordavia confirms rebrand as SmartAvia, new livery". ch-aviation. ch-aviation GmbH. 26 April 2017.
  11. "Russia's Nordavia's first aircraft addition in nine years". Russian Aviation Insider. WordPress. 16 May 2018.
  12. "Russia's Nordavia adds maiden B737-700, eyes -800s". ch-aviation. ch-aviation GmbH. 16 May 2018.
  13. "Red Wings и Smartavia не будут объединяться в единую компанию". Prime (in Russian). 20 March 2019.
  14. "Nordavia to rebrand as Smartavia in 2019". CAPA Centre for Aviation. 21 March 2019.
  15. "Smartavia войдет в лето с 15 воздушными судами, три из которых Airbus A320neo". ATO. 17 April 2021.
  16. "Smartavia приобретет 40 новых самолетов Airbus A320neo и станет лоукостером". ATO.ru. 28 May 2021.
  17. "Smartavia планирует начать полеты из Шереметьево в марте - апреле 2022 года". Tass. 16 September 2021.
  18. Liu, Jim (10 May 2019). "Red Wings expands Nordavia codeshares in S19". Routesonline. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  19. "Air fleet | Nordavia". www.nordavia.ru. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  20. "Авиакомпания Smartavia получила первый из трех самолетов A320neo в этом году". Aviation EXplorer. 16 April 2021.
  21. "ФОТО: Smartavia получила первый самолет Boeing 737-800". ato.ru. 8 April 2019.
  22. "Nordavia receives second B737-700 and is to sign for four -800s".
  23. ЗАО «Аэрофлот-Норд» приобрело авиакомпанию «Архангельские воздушные линии» aeroflot.ru. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  24. История авиакомпании vk.com. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  25. "September 14, 2008 Archived September 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine." Aeroflot. Accessed September 14, 2008.

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