Russian charter operator takes delivery of Boeing 767-300

Russian charter airline Azur Air (which mainly operates in the interest of the travel company Anew Tour) has taken delivery of a Boeing 767-300, a fifth of the type in its fleet. The widebody aircraft (VQ-BUO) has all-economy 336-seat configuration. The aircraft was built in 1995, and was previously operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

The delivery is part of Azur Air’s fleet expansion plan, which is intended to enhance the operator’s flight network and improve frequencies. In particular, non-stop flights to the Dominican Republic, a new destination in Azur’s winter schedule, will be operated by a Boeing 767-300.

By expanding its fleet the airline expects to bolster its position on the charter market. Apart from the five Boeing 767-300s, it operates nine Boeing 757-200s and also plans to start flying Boeing 737-800s next year.

Launched in 2014 with the fleet and infrastructure of the airline Katekavia, Azur Air carried 848,500 passengers during the first six months of 2015, up 871.3% year on year from 87,630. Currettly ranked 11th by traffic volume in Russia, Azur holds the top position for the seat load factor, which has reached 93.9%. It links eight of the most popular leisure destinations to 30 cities in Russia.