Since the Iron Curtain collapsed and residents of the former USSR became available to travel anywhere in the world, local airline revenues have increased millions of times. Despite the fact that the airline business is very expensive, in Russia there are more and more new airlines that 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 on a business trip, each person tries to carefully study all the reviews about the company whose services he plans to use. After all, minor troubles during the flight can overshadow all subsequent rest, and the inability to relax and rest on the way can spoil the mood before important negotiations and a business meeting. Azur Air Airlines, reviews of which are generally positive, has been of particular interest since 2015. It was then that this Russian air carrier became part of the Anex Tourism Group tourist holding. Until that moment, the company was known under a different name - Katekavia.
Azur Air History
Under this name, the company began operating in 2015. Being known under its first name - “Katekavia”, it was a regional air carrier and was mainly engaged in air transportation in the Volga and Siberian federal districts. Prior to the changes in 2015, the Azur Air airline, whose operating reviews we will examine in detail in our article below, was a subsidiary carrier of UTair.
Back in 2012, there was a deal to buy 25% of Katekavia shares by UTair. Three years later, in 2015, there was a complete purchase of the remaining shares of Azur Air, 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 aircraft (at that time Katekavia) were transferred to the operation of Turukhan Airlines. The new carrier has replenished with a new fleet - just then the company received its first Boeing 757-200. This model of aircraft today makes up half of the Azur Air fleet. The Boeing 767-300 became the second model that makes 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 old. At this time, in 2015, the company became part of the huge tourist holding Anex Tourism Group. At the moment, the airline Azur Air, the reviews of which we will consider below, is fully working for 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, the Boeing 737-800.
Where to fly
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 access to international routes from Rosaviation for scheduled flights.
At the moment, 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 destination to its flights - on April 7 of this year, the first flight to Tunisia was completed. The flight was completed by a Boeing 757-200, in which 238 passengers successfully arrived from Moscow Domodedovo to Tunisian Monastir. In the near future they plan to introduce this direction to the category of regular flights.
Online registration option
Like most modern airlines, in order to speed up the registration process for its customers, Azur Air has developed the possibility of its implementation online. The opportunity to use this service becomes available 24 hours before departure. Admission to registration expires 3 hours before the scheduled take-off of the aircraft. In addition to the fact that this service is really capable of saving passengers' time at the check-in counter at the airport, it also makes it possible to choose a convenient seat on the plane without leaving your own home or office. After self check-in online, the passenger must print his boarding pass. Otherwise, he will not be allowed to enter the gate.
Who can register at the airport only
If the passenger is planning a flight with pets or during the flight a person needs escort (children without adults or people with disabilities), then check-in via the Internet will not work. This procedure will need to be done in person at the airport. In this case, remember that check-in starts 2 hours before and ends 40 minutes before departure.
Also, those who plan to make a flight with this company should definitely pay attention that registering for Azur Air online is only possible if the flight will be from Russian cities. If the flight is made from foreign countries, alas, it will not be possible to facilitate and speed up registration via the Internet. The official website states that the ability to check in for flights departing from foreign airports is under development.
Food on board
The company’s website also provides information that, regardless of the duration of the flight, coffee, hot tea, mineral water and juices are mandatory on board. If the flight duration does not exceed 4 hours, passengers can have a snack with 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 attached to all of the above. At the moment, in various forums and discussions there are no negative reviews about the food on board this airline. Based on this, it can be concluded that the company complies with the stated obligations regarding the nutrition of passengers during its flights.
Duty Free Shopping
For passengers of this company, as a bonus, the opportunity is offered to purchase goods from the Duty Free zone directly on board aircraft. 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 the passenger seat. Before boarding a plane, you can visit the Azur Air website, follow the link provided in it and order anything you like. The goods can be picked up after boarding the plane. Judging by the reviews of passengers, such a service, presented on board, is very convenient, since you do not need to go to Duty Free shops to purchase the necessary goods.
Company staff
Any airline selects staff for its flights very carefully. Azur Air was not an exception to this rule, as cabin attendants go through several stages of interviews before starting work. Among the main requirements for candidates for this position are good health and the absence of medical contraindications to flights, knowledge of foreign languages and stress resistance. Based on the reviews, we can conclude that the entire staff of this company is very polite and customer-oriented. Many people in their reviews write that in various non-standard situations, for example, when a flight is delayed, Azur Air employees behave very dignified and try to reassure their customers in every possible way.
Understanding that for a person planning to make a flight, it is very important which attendants will accompany him during the flight, this airline went to a small trick. She created her own group on VKontakte and on her page introduces customers to her employees. The company places a photo and full information about pilots making flights. Also on the social network you can find greetings from stewardesses who work on the boards of Azur Air. This decision really helps to increase confidence in the airline, and visitors to the page are not at all afraid to fly with people whom they have already seen and who already know about.
Airline "Azur Air": reviews, rating
Since this Russian airline has existed for a relatively short time as an independent carrier, its ratings are currently not very high. On average, on a 5-point scale, the company ranks among its own kind in the 2.9-3.5 region. Also, low ratings were affected by information published in early 2016 on the official resource of the Federal Air Transport Agency. It indicated that the largest number of flights with a delay belonged to Azur Air. Representatives of the airline commented on this situation and assured that they are working to resolve this problem.
By and large, it is difficult to meet a clear negative attitude towards this company. Of course, overlays happen in any work, and the sphere of passenger air transportation is no exception. Judging by the available reviews, most often people who use the services of Azur Air complain precisely about the delay of departure or the landing with a delay. But such incidents for a number of reasons, including due to weather conditions, are inevitable in the operation of any airline.
The second most frequent complaint against this Russian air carrier is the problem of the small distance between the passenger seats on board the Boeing. This factor depends on the configuration of the aircraft, and if a person is tall and has a long flight, then the location of the most convenient places on board and the ability to book them should be clarified in advance, before buying a ticket.