Polet Flight
Defunct Russian cargo and passenger airline
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CJSC «Polet Flight» (Russian: ЗАО «Авиакомпания „Полёт“», ZAO «Aviakompániya "Polyót"») was an airline based in Voronezh, Russia. It operated a worldwide cargo and domestic passenger charter services from Voronezh, as well as regional passenger and cargo services from Sokol. It was one of two airlines which flew the Antonov An-124 Ruslan, the world's highest gross weight cargo airplane which specialises in oversized freight. Its collapse, over lease payments for these massive aircraft, left only the Volga-Dnepr Airlines/Antonov Airlines joint partnership in this market.[3] Its main base was Chertovitskoye Airport, Voronezh. Polet is the Russian word for flight.[4]
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| Founded | 9 August 1988 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | December 2014 | ||||||
| Hubs | Ulyanovsk (cargo) Voronezh (passenger) | ||||||
| Focus cities | Moscow | ||||||
| Fleet size | 28 | ||||||
| Destinations | 11 | ||||||
| Parent company | Anatoly Karpov (100%) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Voronezh, Russia | ||||||
| Key people | Anatoly Karpov (CEO)[2] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
History
The airline was established and started operations in 1988. In 2002 Polet began serving the agricultural, aeromedical and aerial photography markets. The airline was wholly owned by Anatoly S Karpov (Chief Executive and General Director) and had a 19.5% holding in Voronezhavia.[4]
In December 2013, the carrier announced that it was evaluating the acquisition of five mid size jets for charter operations out of Voronezh.[5]
Polet was sued by Alexander Lebedev, who claimed that it owned US$8 million in lease payments for An-124 aircraft.[3][6][7][8]
Polet suspended both passenger and cargo operations on 24 November 2014 after which a Moscow Arbitration Court on 28 November placed the carrier into administration.[9] Rosaviatsia cancelled Polet's AOC in April 2015.[2]
Destinations
As of October 2013, Polet Airlines operated scheduled passenger flights to the following destinations:[10]
Europe
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Greece
- Heraklion – Heraklion International Airport (Seasonal)
- Rhodes – Rhodes International Airport (Seasonal)
Latvia
Lithuania
Russia
- Anapa – Anapa Airport
- Belgorod – Belgorod International Airport
- Lipetsk – Lipetsk Airport
- Moscow – Domodedovo Airport
- Saint Petersburg – Pulkovo Airport
- Simferopol – Simferopol International Airport
- Sochi – Sochi Airport
- Ulyanovsk – Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport
- Voronezh – Voronezh International Airport (Hub)
Western Asia
Armenia
Turkey
- Antalya – Antalya Airport (Charter)
United Arab Emirates
- Dubai – Dubai International Airport (Charter)(Cargo Only)
Fleet
The Polet Airlines fleet included the following aircraft (as of December 2013):[11][12][13]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Age (By years) |
Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||||||
| Antonov An-30A | 2 | — | Cartography | 35.7 | ||||||
| Antonov An-124-100 | 4 | 5 | Cargo | 16 | ||||||
| Antonov An-148 | 2 | 8 | TBA | |||||||
| BAe 125-800 | 5 | — | 8 | — | 8 | Unknown | ||||
| Ilyushin Il-76TD | 1 | — | Cargo | Unknown | Sold to Zet Avia | |||||
| Ilyushin Il-96T | 3 | — | Cargo | 1.9 | Stored | |||||
| Saab 340B | 5 | 20 | — | 34 | 34 | 19.6 | ||||
| Saab 2000 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 42 | 50 | 12.7 | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-134A | 1 | — | TBA | 31 | ||||||
| Total | 18 | 24 | ||||||||
