With the development of the tourism sector, customer demands are also growing. If 10-15 years ago people accepted offers from travel companies without any questions, now everything has changed dramatically. Modern travelers figure out where you can save money and how to improve the quality of your vacation. Therefore, tour operators are bombarded with questions of a very different nature - from the airline company to room service at the hotel.
One of the most frequently asked questions among Russian tourists is what kind of airline is Azur Air and whose company is Azur Air. And it’s not surprising, because this air carrier cooperates with many major travel agencies throughout Russia. In this article we will take a detailed look at not only whose airline Azur Air is, but also what it is in general.
Azur Air is part of the huge Turkish holding Anex Tourism Group. This holding has been dynamically developing in the field of air transportation for more than 17 years. The company has entered into contracts with the most famous hotels Worldwide. Therefore, the specialization of the company ensures high level service. About 70 airlines around the world operate international flights under this brand.
Azur Air joined Anex Tourism Group in 2014. Before joining, the company was called "Cateavia" and operated regional flights to Siberian region and the Volga Federal District.
The Kateavia company is notorious for two incidents. The first of these was the accident of the AN-24 airliner in early August 2010. The crash happened while the plane was landing. Due to the unprofessional actions of the crew, 12 people died. And also an incident at the end of November 2014, when passengers had to push a plane that was frozen to runway. Both incidents caused a great uproar among the company's clients, as well as in the media.
Back in 2012, about a quarter of the shares of Kateavia (now Azur Air) were purchased by UTair airline. And until this part of the shares was sold, Katevia was a subsidiary of UTair.
The company received complete independence and independence by 2015. According to statistics, up to this point, the annual passenger turnover of the company was within 115 thousand passengers. Already in 2015, these figures rose to 2 million. Therefore, now questions like: whose airline is Azur Air?
Azur Air flight attendant uniform
Activities of Azur Air
The company's central headquarters is Moscow Domodedovo Airport. In addition, hub airports that are actively used by this air carrier are located in:
- St. Petersburg;
- Krasnoyarsk;
- Rostov-on-Don;
- Kaliningrad.
And also more than 30 cities in Russia. Until 2016, Azur Air was a charter airline and operated air services to more than 20 regions around the world (Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean).
Since February 2016, the company has received government approval and can regularly make international flights. Here, perhaps, we should clarify a little about the differences between regular and charter air travel. Regular flights are available major airlines with state permission.
Characteristics of regular flights:
- Regular flights are operated by specific airlines according to a strictly defined schedule. Therefore, the flight will take place even if there is one passenger on board;
- ticket for regular flight represents a legally valid contract under which the airline provides its services. You can purchase a ticket at official points of sale - at ticket offices and on the company’s website;
- if a passenger refuses a flight, he has the right to return part of the ticket price (the size of this part directly depends on the type of ticket);
- the cost of tickets for regular flights directly depends on the time of purchase (the closer to the departure date, the higher the price of the ticket);
- if the flight is severely delayed, the airline is obliged to provide its client with free food and overnight accommodation (depending on the delay time);
- Most airlines operating regular flights have various types of policies for regular customers. bonus programs.
Charter flights and their features
Charter flights– these are chartered flights in a specific direction (most often there are no regular flights in this direction). The customer is usually different tour operators. Characteristics of charter flights:
- Charters do not fly according to a specific schedule, but in the windows between regular flights. This may not be the most convenient time (usually early in the morning or late at night). In addition, delaying a flight or changing the departure time is a fairly common practice in charter flights.
- It is not possible to buy a ticket for a charter flight at official sales points. Tickets can be purchased either from a tour operator or on a special website on the day of departure. At the same time, purchasing a ticket in advance is out of the question.
- A charter ticket is not a legally binding contract. Therefore, in force majeure situations, the passenger cannot directly present his claims to the air carrier.
- It is also impossible to get your money back if you cancel your flight or change your flight.
- IN charter flights there is no division of the salon into classes. In addition, there are no bonus programs at all.
But, despite all the shortcomings, charter flights have a big advantage over regular ones - low cost. Charter tickets can have a price 2-3 times lower than for a regular flight of the same route. That is why this type of air transportation is in great demand among travelers.
Charter flights of the company
On summer season this year the company operated charter flights in the following directions:
- Spain (airports of Barcelona, Tenerife and Palma de Malerca);
- Bulgaria (Varna and Burgas airports);
- Thailand (Phuket and Suvarnabhumi airports);
- Tunisia (Enfidha and Djerba airports);
- Greece (Diagoras and Nikos Kazantzakis airports);
- Russia (Sochi airport);
- Dominican Republic (Punta Cana Airport);
- Cyprus (Larnaca airport).
Airpark "Azur Air"
At the end of 2015, Azur Air's fleet consisted of 14 aircraft. These are mainly aircraft American company manufacturer Boeing. Among them are 9 Boeing 757-200 aircraft. These are airliners with a maximum capacity of 238 passengers. The aircraft's cruising speed reaches 850 km per hour. The age of these models at Azur Air ranges from 14 to 22 years.
Another model in the fleet is the Boeing 767-300. There are 5 aircraft of this model. Maximum capacity is 335 passengers. The aircraft has a cruising speed of 851 km per hour. The age of such airliners of the company is from 17 years to 21 years. In addition, the company has placed an order for another aircraft – Boeing 737-800. This model can accommodate about 350 passengers. The aircraft's cruising speed is 850 km per hour.
Although middle age Vehicle is at least 17 years old (a long time by modern standards), the company carries out air transportation at a high level. Most reviews about Azur Air are positive.
In contact with
Since the Iron Curtain fell and the residents former USSR trips to any location have become available globe, the income of local airlines increased millions of times. Despite the fact that the airline business is very expensive, more and more new airlines are appearing in Russia, which carry out both cargo and passenger transportation. Since the demand for this type of service, despite the crisis, is growing every year, the number of airlines is also increasing.
Before going on vacation or a business trip, every person tries to carefully study all the reviews about the company whose services he plans to use. After all, minor troubles during a flight can overshadow the entire subsequent vacation, and the inability to relax and rest along the way can ruin the mood before important negotiations and a business meeting. The Azur Air airline, reviews of which are generally positive, began to attract special interest starting in 2015. It was then that this Russian air carrier became part of the Anex Tourism Group tourism holding company. Until this moment, the company was known under a different name - “Katekavia”.
The history of the Azur Air airline
The company began operating under this name in 2015. Known by its first name, Katekavia, it was a regional air carrier and was mainly engaged in air transportation in the Volga and Siberian regions. federal districts. Before the changes in 2015, the Azur Air airline, reviews of whose work we will consider in detail in our article later, was a subsidiary carrier of UTair.
Back in 2012, there was a deal to buy out a 25% stake in Katekavia by UTair. Three years later, in 2015, the remaining shares of Azur Air were completely purchased, which brought it independence. In the autumn of the same year, the legal entity was renamed.
Company fleet
At the end of 2014, all old Azur Air (at that time Katekavia) aircraft were transferred to Turukhan airline for operation. The newly created air carrier was replenished with a new fleet - it was then that the company received its first Boeing 757-200. This aircraft model currently makes up half of the Azur Air fleet. The Boeing 767-300 became the second model to make up the remainder of the company's fleet.
Judging by the information provided in the media, as of the end of 2015, the average age of the aircraft on which Azur Air made its flights was almost 18 years. At this time, in 2015, the company became part of the huge tourism holding Anex Tourism Group. On this moment The Azur Air airline, reviews of which we will consider further, fully works to meet the needs of this tour operator.
Representatives of the ANEX Tour PR department recently announced that by the end of the year Azur Air will begin operating new aircraft - Boeing 737-800.
Where do the flights take place?
Initially, when the company operated under the name "Katekavia", it was a regional carrier and operated flights mainly in the Volga and Siberian districts. After the air carrier became an independent company, AZUR Air received permission from the Federal Air Transport Agency to international routes for regular flights.
Currently, the company's fleet is based in Domodedovo. Azur Air, whose flights are regular, flies to the following countries:
- Dominican Republic.
- Spain.
- Vietnam.
- India.
- Egypt.
Quite recently, the company added another new point to its flight destinations - on April 7 this year, the first flight was made to Tunisia. The flight was carried out by a Boeing 757-200, on which 238 passengers successfully arrived from Moscow's Domodedovo to Monastir, Tunisia. They plan to soon introduce this route into regular flights.
Possibility of online registration
Like most modern airlines, in order to speed up the registration process for its customers, Azur Air has developed the ability to carry it out online. The opportunity to use this service becomes available 24 hours before departure. Access to check-in ends 3 hours before the scheduled take-off of the aircraft. In addition to the fact that this service can really save passengers time at the check-in counter at the airport, it also gives you the opportunity to choose a comfortable seat on the plane without leaving your own home or office. After committing self-registration online passenger must print out his ticket; otherwise, he will not be allowed to enter the boarding gate.
Who can check in only at the airport
If a passenger plans to fly with pets or during the flight the person requires an escort (children without adults or people with disabilities) disabilities), then registration via the Internet will not work. This procedure will need to be completed in person at the airport. In this case, remember that check-in starts 2 hours and ends 40 minutes before departure.
Also, those who plan to fly with this company should definitely note that online registration for Azur Air is only possible if the flight takes place from Russian cities. If the flight is made from foreign countries, unfortunately, it will not be possible to simplify and speed up registration using the Internet. The official website states that the ability to check in for flights departing from foreign airports is under development.
Meals on board
The same company website provides information that, regardless of the duration of the flight, coffee, hot tea, mineral water and juices. If the flight duration does not exceed 4 hours, passengers can snack on hot sandwiches. If the flight takes about 6 hours, Azur Air offers a hot lunch.
In cases where the flight exceeds 6 hours, cold snacks are included with everything already listed. At the moment, there are no negative reviews about the food on board this airline in various forums and discussions. Based on this, we can conclude that the company complies with its stated obligations regarding meals for passengers during its flights.
Duty Free Shopping
As a bonus, passengers of this company are offered the opportunity to purchase goods from the zone Duty Free right on board the planes. During the flight, flight attendants, at the request of the passenger, can familiarize him with the available assortment. This airline also offers the service of delivering goods from the Duty Free zone to passenger seat. Before boarding the plane, you can visit the Azur Air website, follow the link provided there and order whatever you like. The goods can be picked up after boarding the plane. Judging by the reviews of passengers, this service provided on board is very convenient, since you do not need to go to Duty Free stores to purchase the necessary goods.
Company personnel
Any airline selects service personnel for its flights very carefully. Azur Air was no exception to this rule, whose flight attendants undergo several interview stages before starting work. The main requirements for candidates for this position include good health and the absence of medical contraindications to flying, knowledge of foreign languages and resistance to stress. Based on the reviews, we can conclude that all the staff of this company are very polite and customer-oriented. Many people write in their reviews that in various unusual situations, for example, when a flight is delayed, Azur Air employees behave with great dignity and try in every possible way to reassure their clients.
Realizing that for a person planning to fly, it is very important which service personnel will accompany him during the flight, this airline resorted to a little trick. She created her own group on VKontakte and on her page introduces clients to her employees. The company posts photos and full information about the pilots performing the flights. Also on the social network you can find greetings from the flight attendants who work on board Azur Air. This decision really helps to increase trust in the airline, and visitors to the page feel completely comfortable flying with people they have already seen and know about.
Azur Air Airlines: reviews, rating
Since, as an independent air carrier, this Russian airline has existed for a relatively short time, its ratings are not very high at the moment. On average, on a 5-point scale, the company ranks among its peers in the region of 2.9-3.5. The low ratings were also influenced by information published at the beginning of 2016 on the official website of the Federal Air Transport Agency. It was stated there that greatest number the delayed flights belong to the Azur Air company. Representatives of the air carrier commented on this situation and assured that they are working to resolve this problem.
By and large, it is difficult to find obvious negativity towards this company. Of course, in any job there are problems, and the field of passenger air transportation is no exception. Judging by the available reviews, most often people who have used the services of Azur Air complain about the delayed departure or late landing. But such incidents for a number of reasons, including due to weather conditions, are inevitable in the work of any airline.
The second most common complaint against this Russian air carrier is the problem with the small distance between passenger seats on board Boeing aircraft. This factor depends on the configuration of the aircraft, and if a person is tall and has a long flight ahead, then the location of the most comfortable seats on board and the possibility of booking them should be checked in advance, before purchasing a ticket.
AZUR Air Airlines - whose company is it? Despite the foreign name, this is a Russian charter air carrier, which is based at one of the airports in Moscow (Domodedovo). Today AZUR Air operates flights to various destinations - Spain (Barcelona, Tenerife and Mallorca), Greece (Heraklion), Bulgaria (Varna, Burgas) and dozens of other cities in different parts of the world. Departures are carried out from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don and other Russian cities. So, to the question whose it is, we can safely answer - Russian. However, many people know it under the name Katekavia, which operated until the end of 2014.
The end of 2014 was a turning point for the then-regular regional airline, and on December 17 the first flight was carried out under a new name. After the first year of operation, AZUR Air had 14 aircraft, including Boeing 757 and 767. In 2015, AZUR Air gained full independence, and at the beginning of 2016 it received permission from the Federal Air Transport Agency to operate international flights.
The official website of AZUR Air is Azurair.com, where you can register online and find out a lot useful information, including whose company it is. The resource presents an online display, services, as well as current charter flights of the airline. You can also buy air tickets online and at the same time compare with the offers of other carriers.
Many historical events are associated with AZUR Air. Let's look at some of them below:
- In 2010, August 2, An emergency occurred at Igarka airport. The airline's plane (AN-24) crashed during landing. The cause of the tragedy was the erroneous decision of the crew, who did not go around to the second circle to lower the aircraft to the required 100-meter altitude.
- In 2014, November 26, there was a curious incident when the wheels of an airplane froze to the runway, and passengers (shift workers) had to push aircraft. This incident was captured on video, which was discussed on the Internet for a long time and assessed by numerous experts. Experts came to the conclusion that the plane could not have “frozen”, and the event itself was a prank on passengers.
- Last year, 2016, there were several other unexpected events. Thus, on February 26, while flying from Domodedovo to Phuket, a Boeing 767 of AZUR Air was forced to make an intermediate landing in Tashkent. The reason was a decrease in the oil level in the engine, as evidenced by the activation of the sensor. A similar situation occurred on November 23, when, during a flight from Domodedovo to Punta Cana, a Boeing 747 made an emergency landing due to a bird hitting the engine.
- Already in the current 2017, April 6, when flying from Thailand to Kemerovo, due to the discovery of a malfunction, the Boeing 757 of AZUR Air was forced to land at Utapao airport.
Whose airline is AZUR Air?
As noted above, AZUR Air has Russian roots, and the central base is located in Domodedovo. In addition, the company has a number of hub airports located in Krasnoyarsk, Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don and several dozen other cities in the Russian Federation. Until 2016 Russian company carried out only charter flights, and since February received the right to carry out international flights on a regular basis.
Flight characteristics with AZUR Air
The features of regular flights of AZUR Air include::
- In case of cancellation of the flight, the passenger has the right to return part of the ticket price.
- A ticket for such a flight constitutes a contract that has full legal force. According to this agreement, the company provides a full range of services to the client.
- The price of tickets depends on the time of purchase. The less time remains until the day of departure, the higher the cost.
- Flights are carried out taking into account the existing schedule. This means that the plane will fly even with one passenger.
- Availability of a bonus program that allows regular customers save.
- Provision of a place to stay overnight and free meals in case of flight delay.
AZUR air official website: features
The following options are available to visitors to the official website of AZUR Air::
- Completing online registration.
- Online text display with information about the flight number and status, airport and departure/arrival time. Information is given for three days (yesterday, today and tomorrow).
- Additional services.
- Flight map.
- Baggage transportation rules and more.
