Since the iron curtain collapsed and the residents of the former USSR became available to travel anywhere in the world, the revenues of local airlines have increased millions of times. Despite the fact that the aviation business is very costly, more and more new airlines appear in Russia, which 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 the entire subsequent vacation, and the inability to relax and unwind on the way can spoil the mood before important negotiations and business meetings. Airline "Azur Air", reviews of which are generally positive, began to arouse special intereststarting from 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".
The history of Azur Air
The company began operating under this name in 2015. Being known by 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, Azur Air, whose reviews we will discuss in detail in our article below, was a subsidiary of UTair.
Back in 2012, a deal was made to buy out a 25% stake in Katekavia by UTair. Three years later, in 2015, there was a complete purchase of the remaining shares of Azur Air, which brought her independence. In the autumn of the same year, the legal entity was renamed.
Company fleet
At the end of 2014, all the old Azur Air aircraft (Katekavia at that time) were transferred to the operation of Turukhan Airlines. The newly minted air carrier was replenished with a new fleet - it was then that the company received its first Boeing 757-200. Today, this aircraft model makes up half of the Azur Air fleet. The Boeing 767-300 is the second model to make up the remainder of the company's fleet.
According to the information presented in the media, as of the end of 2015, the average age of aircraftwhich Azur Air flew its flights was almost 18 years old. At this time, in 2015, the company became part of the huge tourism holding Anex Tourism Group. At the moment, the Azur Air airline, reviews of which we will consider below, is fully working for the needs of this tour operator.
Representatives of the PR department of ANEX Tour recently announced that before the end of the year, Azur Air will start operating new aircraft - Boeing 737-800.
Where do flights take place
Initially, when the company operated under the name "Katekavia", it was a regional carrier and flew mainly in the Volga and Siberian districts. After the air carrier became an independent company, AZUR Air received permission from the Federal Air Transport Agency to operate international routes for regular flights.
At the moment, the company's fleet is based in Domodedovo. Azur Air, whose flights are scheduled, flies to the following countries:
- Dominican Republic.
- Spain.
- Vietnam.
- India.
- Egypt.
Completely recently, the company added another new point to its flights - on April 7 this year, the first flight to Tunisia was made. The flight was made by Boeing 757-200, on which 238 passengers successfully arrived from Moscow's Domodedovo to Tunisian Monastir. Soon this direction is planned to be included in the category of regular flights.
Possibility of online registration
Like most modernairlines, 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. The admission to check-in is terminated 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 desk at the airport, it also allows them to choose a comfortable seat on the plane without leaving their own home or office. After completing self-check-in online, the passenger must print out their boarding pass. Otherwise, he will not be allowed to the boarding gate.
Who can only check in at the airport
If a 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 and ends 40 minutes before departure.
Also, those who plan to fly with this company should definitely pay attention to the fact that online registration for Azur Air is only possible if the departure will take place from Russian cities. If the flight is made from foreign countries, unfortunately, it will not be possible to facilitate and speed up registration using the Internet. The official website states thatcheck-in for flights departing from overseas airports is under development.
Meals on board
The same website of the company provides information that, regardless of the duration of the flight, coffee, hot tea, mineral water and juices are mandatory on board. If the duration of the flight 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 included with everything already listed. At the moment, there are no negative reviews about the food on board this airline in various forums and discussions. Based on this, we can conclude that the company complies with the stated obligations regarding the food of passengers during the performance of its flights.
Shopping at Duty Free
For passengers of this company, as a bonus, the opportunity to purchase goods from the Duty Free zone directly on board the aircraft is offered. During the flight, flight attendants, at the request of the passenger, can acquaint him with the available assortment. This airline also offers a service for delivering goods from the Duty Free zone to the passenger seat. Before boarding the plane, you can visit the Azur Air website, follow the link provided in it and order whatever you like. The goods can be picked up after boarding the aircraft. Judging by the feedback from passengers, such a service provided on board is very convenient, because forYou don't need to go shopping Duty Free to purchase the item you need.
Company staff
Any airline selects service personnel for its flights very carefully. Azur Air was no exception to this rule, the flight attendants of which go through several stages of an interview before starting work. Among the main requirements for candidates for this position is good he alth and the absence of medical contraindications to flying, 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 in every possible way to reassure their customers.
Realizing that for a person planning to make a flight, it is very important which attendants will accompany him during the flight, this airline went for a little trick. She created her own group on VKontakte and on her page introduces clients to her employees. The company posts photos and complete information about the pilots making flights. Also in the social network you can find the greetings of the flight attendants who work on the boards of Azur Air. This solution really helps to increase the credibility of the airline, and the visitors of the page become absolutely not afraid to fly with people they have already seen and already know about.
Azur Air:reviews, rating
Because this Russian airline has been in existence for a relatively short time as an independent air carrier, its ratings are currently not very high. On average, on a 5-point scale, the company ranks among its peers in the region of 2, 9-3, 5. The information published in early 2016 on the official resource of the Federal Air Transport Agency also affected the low ratings. It indicated that the largest number of delayed flights belonged to Azur Air. Representatives of the air carrier commented on this situation and assured that they are working to eliminate this problem.
By and large, it is difficult to meet a clear negative attitude towards this company. Of course, in any work there are overlaps, 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 about the delay in departure or late landing. But such incidents, for a number of reasons, including due to weather conditions, are inevitable in the work of any airline.
The second most frequent complaint about this Russian carrier is the problem with 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 ahead, then the location of the most convenient seats on board and the possibility of booking them should be clarified in advance, before buying a ticket.
