Smartavia
{{Short description|Airline of Russia}}
{{Distinguish|Smartwings}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Smartavia
| logo = Smartavia logo.svg
| logo_size =
| image = Smartavia, VQ-BBW, Boeing 737-86N (49567047722).jpg
| image_size = 250
| IATA = 5N
| ICAO = AUL
| callsign = ARCHANGELSK AIR
| founded = {{ublist
| 1963 (as a squadron)
1991 (as an Independent Airlines )
2019 (as Smartavia)
}}
| hubs =
| focus_cities =
| headquarters = Arkhangelsk, Russian Federation
| frequent_flyer =
| lounge =
| alliance =
| fleet_size = 15
| destinations = 50
| website = [https://www.flysmartavia.com/ flysmartavia.com]
}}
Smartavia, formerly known as Nordavia (until March 2019), is a Russian low-cost airline with its head office in Arkhangelsk, Russia."[http://www.nordavia.ru/eng/contact/ Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611174611/http://www.nordavia.ru/eng/contact/ |date=2010-06-11 }}." Smartavia. Retrieved on 29 June 2010. "Legal address: Russian Federation, 163053, Arkhangelsk, Talagi Airport." – "[http://www.nordavia.ru/contact/ Контакты] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629050606/http://www.nordavia.ru/contact/ |date=2010-06-29 }}." Address in Russian: "163053, г. Архангельск, Аэропорт "Архангельск"." It mainly operates scheduled domestic and regional services. Its main bases are Arkhangelsk Airport, Pulkovo Airport (Saint Petersburg), and Sheremetyevo International Airport, serving Moscow.{{cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 47 | date= 2007-04-03}} Smartavia is a joint-stock company.
As of February 2025, it is on the List of airlines banned in the European Union.{{Cite web |title=The EU Air Safety List - European Commission |url=https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/eu-air-safety-list_en |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=transport.ec.europa.eu |language=en}}
History
File:Boeing 737-500 VP-BRG.jpg in the former livery, operated by the former brand Aeroflot-Nord]]
The airline was formed in 1963 as Arkhangelsk United Aviation Squadron ({{langx|ru|Архангельский объединенный авиационный отряд}}) and became AVL Arkhangelsk Airlines ({{lang|ru|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.Flight International 27 March 2007
When the contract with Aeroflot ended on 1 December 2009, the airline operated independently as Nordavia.{{cite news|url=http://www.eraa.org/news/erapressreleases/ERAWelcomesAeroflot-Nord.php|title=ERA Welcomes Aeroflot-Nord|publisher=European Regions Airline Association (ERA)|date=2006-12-18 |access-date=2008-09-14}} 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 distanced itself from Nordavia.{{cite news|url=http://www.barentsobserver.com/aeroflot-nord-in-trouble.4614317.html|title=Aeroflot-Nord in trouble|publisher=BarentsObserver|date=2009-07-17|access-date=2009-08-05|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707213403/http://www.barentsobserver.com/aeroflot-nord-in-trouble.4614317.html|archive-date=2011-07-07}}
=Partnership with [[NordStar]]=
In June 2011, Aeroflot sold the airline to Norilsk Nickel for a US$235 million, but it only costed net $7 million, due to assumption of company's debt.https://www.vedomosti.ru/management/articles/2011/11/11/oleg-vetvinskij-vozglavil-nordavia On December 1, 2011, Norilsk Nickel reported that Nordavia was to be merged in Taimyr Air Company.{{cite web|url=http://www.aviaport.ru/digest/2011/12/01/226006.html |title=Aviaport digest, Dec. 1st, 2011 |language=ru |publisher=Aviaport.ru |date=2011-01-12|access-date=2013-02-04}} However, the Federal Antimonopoly Service blocked the merger of Nordavia with Taimyr Air Company, and Nordavia was ultimately sold to Sergey Kuznetsov, the owner of Red Wings Airlines, in March 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.vedomosti.ru/business/articles/2016/03/18/634134-norilskii-nikel-nordavia |title=Norilsk Nickel sold Nordavia |language=ru |newspaper= Vedomosti |date=18 March 2016|access-date=5 October 2017}}
=Partnership with Red Wings Airlines=
To increase business power, Red Wings Airlines and Nordavia decided to merge.{{cite web|url=http://www.ato.ru/content/aviakompanii-red-wings-i-nordavia-obedinyatsya?slink=super|title=Авиакомпании Red Wings и "Нордавиа" объединятся|newspaper=ato.ru|date=16 October 2017}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/55478-russias-nordavia-confirms-rebrand-as-smartavia-new-livery|title=News Russia's Nordavia confirms rebrand as SmartAvia, new livery|website=ch-aviation|publisher=ch-aviation GmbH|date=26 April 2017}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.rusaviainsider.com/russias-nordavias-first-aircraft-addition-nine-years/|title=Russia's Nordavia's first aircraft addition in nine years|website=Russian Aviation Insider|publisher=WordPress|date=16 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/67241-russias-nordavia-adds-maiden-b737-700-eyes-800s|title=Russia's Nordavia adds maiden B737-700, eyes -800s|website=ch-aviation|publisher=ch-aviation GmbH|date=16 May 2018}} On 20 March 2019, it was announced that the merging of Nordavia with Red Wings airlines was canceled.{{cite web|url=https://1prime.ru/business/20190320/829819843.html|title=Red Wings и Smartavia не будут объединяться в единую компанию|newspaper=Prime|date=20 March 2019|language=ru}}
=Restructuring to Smartavia=
Following the cancellation, the airline was re-branded to Smartavia. The first aircraft of the new livery arrived in April 2019, with all existing getting replaced by the end of the year.{{cite web|url=https://centreforaviation.com/news/nordavia-to-rebrand-as-smartavia-in-2019-889236|title=Nordavia to rebrand as Smartavia in 2019|newspaper=CAPA Centre for Aviation|date= 21 March 2019}} By 2021, the airline had retired all of its Boeing 737-500s, and in April 2021, the airline began their replacement with new Airbus A320neos, officially completing the re-branding into Smartavia and announcing itself as a low-cost carrier.{{cite web|url=http://www.ato.ru/content/smartavia-voydet-v-leto-s-15-vozdushnymi-sudami-tri-iz-kotoryh-airbus-a320neo|title=Smartavia войдет в лето с 15 воздушными судами, три из которых Airbus A320neo|newspaper=ATO|date=17 April 2021}}
On 28 May 2021, during a press conference held in Kaliningrad, with the presentation of new Airbus A320neos previously operated by Mexican carrier Interjet, the airline announced a massive order expansion of 40 new Airbus aircraft and plans to phase out all Boeing 737 aircraft by 2023 and only operate Airbus aircraft from then on. If the plan were to succeed, the airline was to purchase Airbus A321neos by 2024.{{cite web|url=http://www.ato.ru/content/smartavia-priobretet-40-novyh-samoletov-airbus-a320neo-i-stanet-loukosterom|title=Smartavia приобретет 40 новых самолетов Airbus A320neo и станет лоукостером|newspaper=ATO.ru|date=28 May 2021}}
On 16 September 2021, the airline announced its base expansion plans: by spring 2022, the airline planned to open its new hub at Moscow-Sheremetyevo, as well as to open bases in Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Samara and Sochi.{{cite web|url=https://tass.ru/ekonomika/12421645|title=Smartavia планирует начать полеты из Шереметьево в марте - апреле 2022 года|newspaper=Tass|date=16 September 2021}}
Destinations
{{main|List of Smartavia destinations}}
Fleet
File:SmartAvia, VP-BOS, Airbus A320-251N (51265505595).jpg]]
{{As of|2024|09}}, the Smartavia fleet consists of the following aircraft:{{Cite web|url=https://www.nordavia.ru/en/about/aircraft/|title=Air fleet {{!}} Nordavia|website=www.nordavia.ru|access-date=2019-03-29|archive-date=2012-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111063846/https://www.nordavia.ru/en/about/aircraft/|url-status=dead}}
| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center;margin:auto;"
|+ Smartavia fleet |
| rowspan="2"|Aircraft
!rowspan="2"|In service !rowspan="2"|Orders !colspan="3"|Passengers !rowspan="2"|Notes |
|---|
| C
!Y !Total |
| Airbus A320neo
|— |180 | |
| Boeing 737-700
|2 |— |— |142 |142 | |
| Boeing 737-800
|8 |— |— |189 |189 |The first aircraft to wear SmartAvia livery.{{cite web|url=http://www.ato.ru/content/foto-smartavia-poluchila-pervyy-samolet-boeing-737-800?slink=mai&pos=3|title=ФОТО: Smartavia получила первый самолет Boeing 737-800|newspaper=ato.ru|date=8 April 2019}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.rusaviainsider.com/nordavia-b737-700-sign-four-800s/|title=Nordavia receives second B737-700 and is to sign for four -800s}} |
| Total
!12 !— !colspan="4"| |
= Historical fleet =
File:Aeroflot-Nord Tu-134A.jpg]]
Smartavia has previously operated the following aircraft:[https://ir.aeroflot.ru/ru/novosti/article/2396 ЗАО «Аэрофлот-Норд» приобрело авиакомпанию «Архангельские воздушные линии»] aeroflot.ru. Retrieved 5 May 2010.[https://vk.com/topic-320901_26626901 История авиакомпании] vk.com. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+ Smartavia historical fleet |
| Aircraft
! Introduced ! Retired ! Notes |
|---|
| Antonov An-24
|1991 |2008 | |
| Boeing 737-300
|2008 |2012 |Was transferred to NordStar in 2012 |
| Boeing 737-500
|2006 |2020 |Replaced by first Airbus A320neo order, one crashed as Flight 821 |
| 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,"[http://www.aeroflot.ru/eng/about.aspx?ob_no=549&d_no=11497 September 14, 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918013950/http://www.aeroflot.ru/eng/about.aspx?ob_no=549&d_no=11497 |date=September 18, 2008 }}." Aeroflot. Accessed September 14, 2008. crashed on approach to Perm Airport, Russia. All 88 people on board, including six crew members, were killed. {{Cite web|title=Accident Boeing 737-505 VP-BKO|url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/321636|access-date=December 12, 2024|website=ASN Flight Safety Network}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category-inline|Smartavia}}
- {{in lang|en|ru}} {{official website|http://www.nordavia.ru}}
{{Portalbar|Russia|Aviation}}
{{Aeroflot}}
{{Airlines of Russia}}
{{IATA members|europe}}
Category:Former Aeroflot divisions
Category:Airlines established in 1963
Category:1963 establishments in the Soviet Union
Category:Airlines banned in the European Union
Category:Aviation in Arkhangelsk Oblast
Category:Companies based in Arkhangelsk