Armavia
Encyclopedia
Air Company "Armavia" is an airline
with its head office on the grounds of Zvartnots International Airport
in Zvartnots, Armenia
, near Yerevan
. It operates international passenger services from Yerevan to destinations in Europe
and Asia
. Its main base is Zvartnots International Airport.
and Turkey
only started in 2001. In 2002, a strategic alliance was set up with the Russian airline S7 Airlines
which purchased 50% of Armavia's shares from the "Chernomoravia" company under the name of the "Aviafin" company registered in Armenia but which belongs to the leadership of S7 Airlines as natural persons. Later, it bought an additional 18% of shares from Mika Armenia Trading company owned by prominent Armenian businessman Mikhail Baghdasarov. An investment contract between S7 Airlines and Armavia was signed on 14 March 2003, at which point 68% of Armavia's shares were owned by S7 Airlines, and the remaining 32% by Mika Armenia Trading.
In 2003, Armavia overtook a part of the bankrupt Armenian Airlines
' flights. In 2005, Mikhail Baghdasarov's Mika Armenia Trading bought S7's 68% of shares and became Armavia's principal shareholder with a 100% stake in the company. In 2005, the airline transported 513,800 passengers with over 550 people in its personnel. The turnover for 2005 amounted to roughly $90 million. In 2007, the airline transported 572,300 passengers by regular and charter flights, which is a 21% increase compared to 2006.
The airline is owned by MIKA Armenia Trading (100%).
In 2010, the airline transported over 800,000 passengers.
On April 21, 2011, Armavia became the first airline to fly Sukhoi Superjet 100
from Yerevan
to Moscow
.
was declared bankrupt and consequently Armavia took over many of its flights, although originally not those to Europe, which were operated by another Armenian airline
, Armenian International Airways
(Հայկական միջազգային ավիաուղիներ). This company was later declared bankrupt in 2005, and Armavia took over European flights to become a national airline of Armenia
.
Armavia has always shown interest in serving North America
(most notably Los Angeles
) with non-stop flights from Yerevan
, but has not revealed further details on the matter. They also currently lack the proper aircraft to operate the flight.
In 2010, Armavia commenced flights to Tel Aviv
and Larnaca
.
In 2011, Armavia commenced flights to Stavropol
.
In 2012, Armavia will commence flights to Milan
.
EK-32007 from Siberia Airlines
, its principal shareholder, to serve routes to Turkey and Russia. It was followed by a second A320, leased (from AWAS), in August 2003, which allowed the company to operate routes to Europe. Both aircraft had been originally owned by Ansett Australia
before its bankruptcy in 2002. The first one was later sold to Georgian National Airlines in January 2004. In February and October 2004, Armavia bought two more A320s, also formerly owned by Ansett, but both were lost in 2006: the first due to a crash near Sochi International Airport on May 3, 2006, and the second, only a couple of days later, due to damage sustained during a fire in a Sabena Technics maintenance hangar in Belgium
on 5 May.
On March 28, 2006, Armavia leased a fairly new 2004-built Airbus A319-132
acquired by Mika Armenia Trading from the now defunct Independence Air
. This was soon followed by a second leased A320 acquired by Mika Armenia Trading from the same source.
On May 15, 2007, Armavia began operating a Boeing 737-300 aircraft it wet lease
d from Georgian Airways
.
On September 1 , 2007, Armavia signed a multi-million-dollar agreement with Russia's Sukhoi
Civil Aircraft which will supply them with two Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR
aircraft by the end of 2009. Under the agreement, Armavia will also have an option to acquire another two SuperJet 100-95LRs in the future.
On December 3, 2007, the government of Armenia acquired an A319 to transport the country's president and other top government officials. The aircraft will be managed by Armavia.
On May 23, 2008, Armavia took delivery of its fourth Airbus A320-214 (MSN: 3492, Registration: EK-32005) aircraft. Plane is named after Armenian famous painter Hovhannes Ayvazovsky . For the first time in the history of the Civil Aviation of Armenia, a brand new aircraft with no flight hours entered the fleet right from the facilities of Airbus in Toulouse, France.
On March 17, 2009, Armavia received its first new A319-111 (MSN: 3834, tail number: EK-32007, name: Victor Hambartzumyan) from Airbus. This new aircraft have the new cabin design, which is more comfortable and as Airbus states is more brighter. The aircraft is operated under a lease agreement with the ILFC.
On August 6, 2009, Armavia began operating a leased CRJ-200LR
(MSN: 7373, Registration: EK-20073). It has since returned that aircraft and is now operating an ex. Lufthansa CityLine
CRJ-200LR, (MSN: 7282, Registration: EK-20014), which is in full Armavia color scheme.
On April 19, 2011, Armavia took delivery of the first Sukhoi Superjet 100
(MSN:97007, Registration: EK-95015, name Yuri Gagarin
). In doing so, Armavia became the first company to put the aircraft in commercial revenue service.
On May 6, 2011, Armavia took delivery of the second CRJ-200LR
(Registration: EK-20017), which was purchased from Lufthansa CityLine
.
On November 23, 2011, Armavia bought Boeing 737-500 (Registration: EK-73771), which was purchased from Czech Airlines
.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with its head office on the grounds of Zvartnots International Airport
Zvartnots International Airport
Zvartnots International Airport is located near Zvartnots, west of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. The airport was built in 1961. It is now the busiest airport in Armenia and the Caucasus. The draftsmen of the airport included architects M. Khachikyan, A. Tarkhanyan, J. Sheqhlyan, L....
in Zvartnots, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, near Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
. It operates international passenger services from Yerevan to destinations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Its main base is Zvartnots International Airport.
History
The Armavia company was established in 1996, but commercial flights to RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
only started in 2001. In 2002, a strategic alliance was set up with the Russian airline S7 Airlines
S7 Airlines
OJSC Siberia Airlines , operating as S7 Airlines, is an airline headquartered in Ob, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, with offices in Moscow. S7 Airlines has been Russia's fastest-growing airline and recently passed Aeroflot as Russia's largest domestic airline.S7 has operated scheduled passenger...
which purchased 50% of Armavia's shares from the "Chernomoravia" company under the name of the "Aviafin" company registered in Armenia but which belongs to the leadership of S7 Airlines as natural persons. Later, it bought an additional 18% of shares from Mika Armenia Trading company owned by prominent Armenian businessman Mikhail Baghdasarov. An investment contract between S7 Airlines and Armavia was signed on 14 March 2003, at which point 68% of Armavia's shares were owned by S7 Airlines, and the remaining 32% by Mika Armenia Trading.
In 2003, Armavia overtook a part of the bankrupt Armenian Airlines
Armenian Airlines
Armenian Airlines was the state-owned national airline of Armenia.- History :Armenian Airlines was established shortly after independence in 1991 from Aeroflot's Armenia directorate, and was the sole carrier in Armenia until 2002, when private companies Armenian International Airways and Armavia...
' flights. In 2005, Mikhail Baghdasarov's Mika Armenia Trading bought S7's 68% of shares and became Armavia's principal shareholder with a 100% stake in the company. In 2005, the airline transported 513,800 passengers with over 550 people in its personnel. The turnover for 2005 amounted to roughly $90 million. In 2007, the airline transported 572,300 passengers by regular and charter flights, which is a 21% increase compared to 2006.
The airline is owned by MIKA Armenia Trading (100%).
In 2010, the airline transported over 800,000 passengers.
On April 21, 2011, Armavia became the first airline to fly Sukhoi Superjet 100
Sukhoi Superjet 100
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. With development starting in 2000, the plane was designed by the civil aircraft division of the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with Western partners...
from Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Destinations
In 2003, the official national carrier Armenian AirlinesArmenian Airlines
Armenian Airlines was the state-owned national airline of Armenia.- History :Armenian Airlines was established shortly after independence in 1991 from Aeroflot's Armenia directorate, and was the sole carrier in Armenia until 2002, when private companies Armenian International Airways and Armavia...
was declared bankrupt and consequently Armavia took over many of its flights, although originally not those to Europe, which were operated by another Armenian airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, Armenian International Airways
Armenian International Airways
Armenian International Airways was a privately owned airline operating international passenger flights based from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia.-History:...
(Հայկական միջազգային ավիաուղիներ). This company was later declared bankrupt in 2005, and Armavia took over European flights to become a national airline of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
Armavia has always shown interest in serving North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(most notably Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
) with non-stop flights from Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, but has not revealed further details on the matter. They also currently lack the proper aircraft to operate the flight.
In 2010, Armavia commenced flights to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
.
In 2011, Armavia commenced flights to Stavropol
Stavropol
-International relations:-Twin towns/sister cities:Stavropol is twinned with: Des Moines, United States Béziers, France Pazardzhik, Bulgaria-External links:* **...
.
In 2012, Armavia will commence flights to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Codeshare agreements
Armavia has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
|
Kavminvodyavia Kavminvodyavia was an airline based in Mineralnye Vody in the Caucasus, Russia. It operated scheduled services to over 20 destinations in the northern Caucasus region and abroad, as well as charter services... Kuban Airlines Kuban Airlines is an airline based in Krasnodar, Russia. It operates domestic schedules within Russia and international charters. Its main base is Krasnodar International Airport. Its name comes from Kuban Province in southern Russia.... LOT Polish Airlines Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,... (Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... ) |
RusLine RusLine is an airline based in the Omega Plaza business centre in Moscow, Russia. It operates scheduled flights out of its bases Domodedovo International Airport, Yekaterinburg Airport, Krasnodar International Airport and Volgograd International Airport.-History:The airline originally had its hub... Transaero OJSC Transaero Airlines or simply Transaero is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Domodedovo International Airport, Domodedovsky District, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It operates scheduled and charter flights to more than 99 domestic and international destinations... Ural Airlines Ural Airlines is an airline based in Yekaterinburg, Russia, operating scheduled and chartered domestic and international flights out of Koltsovo International Airport... VIM Airlines VIM Avia, commonly known as VIM Airlines, is an airline based in Moscow, Russia, operating international scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo flights out of Moscow Domodedovo Airport, as well as offering aircraft wet lease.-History:... |
Fleet
As of August 2011, the Armavia fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 9.7 years:| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bombardier CRJ200 The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:... |
||||
Sukhoi Superjet 100 The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. With development starting in 2000, the plane was designed by the civil aircraft division of the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with Western partners... |
Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961.... |
|||
Yakovlev Yak-42 The Yakovlev Yak-42 is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet. It was designed as a replacement for several obsolete Aeroflot jets as a mid-range passenger jet... |
||||
Fleet development
In October 2002, Armavia leased its first Airbus A320-211Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
EK-32007 from Siberia Airlines
S7 Airlines
OJSC Siberia Airlines , operating as S7 Airlines, is an airline headquartered in Ob, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, with offices in Moscow. S7 Airlines has been Russia's fastest-growing airline and recently passed Aeroflot as Russia's largest domestic airline.S7 has operated scheduled passenger...
, its principal shareholder, to serve routes to Turkey and Russia. It was followed by a second A320, leased (from AWAS), in August 2003, which allowed the company to operate routes to Europe. Both aircraft had been originally owned by Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
before its bankruptcy in 2002. The first one was later sold to Georgian National Airlines in January 2004. In February and October 2004, Armavia bought two more A320s, also formerly owned by Ansett, but both were lost in 2006: the first due to a crash near Sochi International Airport on May 3, 2006, and the second, only a couple of days later, due to damage sustained during a fire in a Sabena Technics maintenance hangar in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 5 May.
On March 28, 2006, Armavia leased a fairly new 2004-built Airbus A319-132
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
acquired by Mika Armenia Trading from the now defunct Independence Air
Independence Air
Independence Air was a low-cost airline, owned by FLYi, Inc., headquartered in the Loudoun Gateway Corporate Center in Dulles, unincorporated Loudoun County, Virginia, United States that operated from 1989 until 2006. Its route network focused on the East Coast of the United States, but it also...
. This was soon followed by a second leased A320 acquired by Mika Armenia Trading from the same source.
On May 15, 2007, Armavia began operating a Boeing 737-300 aircraft it wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d from Georgian Airways
Georgian Airways
Georgian Airways is the national airline of Georgia based in the capital, Tbilisi. It is a privately owned airline operating services from Georgia to destinations mainly in Europe and Western Asia. It is based at the Tbilisi International Airport....
.
On September 1 , 2007, Armavia signed a multi-million-dollar agreement with Russia's Sukhoi
Sukhoi
Sukhoi Company is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, famous for its fighters...
Civil Aircraft which will supply them with two Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR
Sukhoi Superjet 100
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. With development starting in 2000, the plane was designed by the civil aircraft division of the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with Western partners...
aircraft by the end of 2009. Under the agreement, Armavia will also have an option to acquire another two SuperJet 100-95LRs in the future.
On December 3, 2007, the government of Armenia acquired an A319 to transport the country's president and other top government officials. The aircraft will be managed by Armavia.
On May 23, 2008, Armavia took delivery of its fourth Airbus A320-214 (MSN: 3492, Registration: EK-32005) aircraft. Plane is named after Armenian famous painter Hovhannes Ayvazovsky . For the first time in the history of the Civil Aviation of Armenia, a brand new aircraft with no flight hours entered the fleet right from the facilities of Airbus in Toulouse, France.
On March 17, 2009, Armavia received its first new A319-111 (MSN: 3834, tail number: EK-32007, name: Victor Hambartzumyan) from Airbus. This new aircraft have the new cabin design, which is more comfortable and as Airbus states is more brighter. The aircraft is operated under a lease agreement with the ILFC.
On August 6, 2009, Armavia began operating a leased CRJ-200LR
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
(MSN: 7373, Registration: EK-20073). It has since returned that aircraft and is now operating an ex. Lufthansa CityLine
Lufthansa CityLine
Lufthansa CityLine GmbH is a regional airline based in Cologne, Germany. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa and member of the Lufthansa Regional network. It is the largest regional airline in Europe. Its main base is Cologne Bonn Airport, with hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport...
CRJ-200LR, (MSN: 7282, Registration: EK-20014), which is in full Armavia color scheme.
On April 19, 2011, Armavia took delivery of the first Sukhoi Superjet 100
Sukhoi Superjet 100
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. With development starting in 2000, the plane was designed by the civil aircraft division of the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with Western partners...
(MSN:97007, Registration: EK-95015, name Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
). In doing so, Armavia became the first company to put the aircraft in commercial revenue service.
On May 6, 2011, Armavia took delivery of the second CRJ-200LR
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
(Registration: EK-20017), which was purchased from Lufthansa CityLine
Lufthansa CityLine
Lufthansa CityLine GmbH is a regional airline based in Cologne, Germany. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa and member of the Lufthansa Regional network. It is the largest regional airline in Europe. Its main base is Cologne Bonn Airport, with hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport...
.
On November 23, 2011, Armavia bought Boeing 737-500 (Registration: EK-73771), which was purchased from Czech Airlines
Czech Airlines
Czech Airlines j.s.c. , trading as Czech Airlines , is the national airline of the Czech Republic and temporary in Slovakia with its head office on the grounds of Ruzyně Airport in Ruzyně, Prague...
.
Incidents and accidents
- On 3 May 2006, an Armavia Airbus A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
(MSN: 547, Registration: EK-32009) named after Mesrop Mashtots operating Armavia Flight 967Armavia Flight 967Armavia Flight 967 was a flight operated by Armavia, the largest international airline of Armenia on May 3, 2006, from Yerevan in Armenia to Sochi, a Black Sea coastal resort city in Russia...
crashed into the Black SeaBlack SeaThe Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
en route from YerevanYerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
to SochiSochiSochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
, a resort town in Russia. The fatal crash was a CFITControlled flight into terrainControlled flight into terrain describes an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, water, or an obstacle. The term was coined by engineers at Boeing in the late 1970s...
accident, killing all 105 passengers and 8 crew on board. The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact with the water. The crash was caused by inadequate control inputs of the CaptainPilot in commandThe pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
following a go-aroundGo-aroundA go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
after the first attempted approach. Contributing factors to the accident were the lack of necessary monitoring of the aircraft descent parameters by the First Officer, and the improper reaction of the crew to the subsequent GPWSGround Proximity Warning SystemA ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...
warning. Poor visibility and weather contributed to the crash as well.
- On 5 May 2006, another Armavia A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
(MSN: 632, Registration: EK-32010) named Grigor Lusavorich, was one of four aircraft destroyed during a fire at a hangar at Brussels AirportBrussels AirportBrussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It was not known what caused the accident in Brussels, where the Armavia jet was undergoing maintenance provided by the Belgian company Sabena Technics.