Azur Air’s second Boeing 777-300ER enters service

With the arrival of this latest B777, the airline's all-Boeing fleet has increased to 26 aircraft (Azur Air)

Azur Air, Russia’s biggest charter airline, has continued its fleet expansion with the addition of a second Boeing 777-300ER leased from AerCap. The 12 years old wide-body long-haul aircraft (with registration number VQ-BZA) is powered by GE90-115B engines, configured with economy and business class cabins and will service the most popular tourist destinations in the airline’s network.

Currently, the airline’s long-haul flight programme offers B777 services to Dubai (UAE), but there are plans for transatlantic services to Varadero (Cuba), La Romana (Dominican Republic) and Cancun (Mexico). In the coming summer season the type will be deployed on the popular Turkish resorts of Bodrum and Antalya, as well as to Cam Ranh (Vietnam) and to Enfida (Tunisia).

With the arrival of this latest B777, the airline’s all-Boeing fleet has increased to 26 aircraft, with nine Boeing 767-300s, eight Boeing 757-200s, five Boeing 737-800s, two Boeing 737-900s, as well as the two Boeing 777-300ERs, collectively providing 30 per cent more lift than in the last year when it carried some 4.3 million passengers, a 13.9 per cent year-on-year improvement. In 2018, the airline’s seat load factor reached 96 per cent, the country’s best result.

The Russian leisure airline, which operates flights on behalf of Turkey-backed travel company Anex Tour, ranked ninth in the list of Russian carriers by passenger numbers in 2018.