Sky Express
Encyclopedia
CJSC Sky Express also known in Russian as Скай Экспресс, was the first Russian airline to present itself as a low-cost carrier
focusing on domestic flights. Its main base was Vnukovo International Airport
.
CEO Boris Abrmovich, EBRD, Altima Partners and others, becoming Russia's first low-cost airline. The first flight took off on 29 January 2007 from Moscow
to Sochi
.
Only 20 days after the only other Russian low-cost airline, Avianova
, ceased its operations, SkyExpress also decided to stop all flights from October 29, 2011. Its fleet and brand name will be transferred to Kuban Airlines
.
As of August 2011, the Sky Express fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 17.7 years:
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
focusing on domestic flights. Its main base was Vnukovo International Airport
Vnukovo International Airport
Vnukovo International Airport , is a dual runway international airport located southwest from the centre of Moscow, Russia. It is one of three major airports serving Moscow...
.
History
The airline was established in March 2006 by a consortium of investors which included KrasAirKrasAir
KrasAir or Krasnoyarsk Airlines was a Russian airline with its head office on the grounds of Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo Airport in Krasnoyarsk. It operated scheduled regional and international passenger services, freight transport, cargo handling and charter services from the main base is Krasnoyarsk...
CEO Boris Abrmovich, EBRD, Altima Partners and others, becoming Russia's first low-cost airline. The first flight took off on 29 January 2007 from 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...
to Sochi
Sochi
Sochi 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...
.
Only 20 days after the only other Russian low-cost airline, Avianova
Avianova (Russia)
Avianova, LLC was a low cost airline based in Moscow, Russia. From its hub at Sheremetyevo International Airport, the carrier served a number of destinations within Russia, as well as an international destination within Ukraine.- History :...
, ceased its operations, SkyExpress also decided to stop all flights from October 29, 2011. Its fleet and brand name will be transferred to Kuban Airlines
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....
.
Destinations
As of March 2011, the Sky Express destinations are:Regular flights
- RussiaRussiaRussia 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...
- AnapaAnapaAnapa is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It was originally a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe of the Adyghe people. Population: The town boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels...
- Anapa Airport - ChelyabinskChelyabinskChelyabinsk is a city and the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located in the northwestern side of the oblast, south of Yekaterinburg, just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on the Miass River. Population: -History:...
- Chelyabinsk Balandino AirportChelyabinsk Balandino AirportChelyabinsk Airport is an airport in Russia located 18 km north of Chelyabinsk. It services large airliners and can park up to 51 aircraft. It also serves as a secondary hub for S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines.-Passenger airlines:-Accidents and incidents:... - GelendzhikGelendzhikGelendzhik is a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Sea, between Novorossiysk and Tuapse . Greater Gelendzhik sprawls for along the coastline and covers an area of 122,754 ha...
- Gelendzhik AirportGelendzhik AirportGelendzhik Airport is an airport in Krasnodar Krai, Russia located in the resort town of Gelendzhik. The airport opened to passengers on 5 June 2010.-Airlines and destinations:-References:...
[begins 4 July] - KaliningradKaliningradKaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
- Khrabrovo AirportKhrabrovo AirportKhrabrovo Airport is located north of Kaliningrad, east off the Zelenogradsk highway. The airport, part of which is still military, is a bare landing strip with few frills for passengers.-History:... - KrasnodarKrasnodarKrasnodar is a city in Southern Russia, located on the Kuban River about northeast of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai . Population: -Name:...
- Krasnodar International Airport - MoscowMoscowMoscow 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...
- Vnukovo Airport Base - MurmanskMurmanskMurmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
- Murmansk AirportMurmansk AirportMurmansk Airport is the international airport of Murmansk, Russia. It is located near the town of Murmashi in Murmansk's southern suburbs, 24 km outside the citycentre.... - OrenburgOrenburgOrenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m...
- Orenburg Tsentralny AirportOrenburg Tsentralny AirportTsentralny Airport is a civil airport located about 25 km east of Orenburg city.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:... - PermPermPerm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
- Bolshoye Savino AirportBolshoye Savino AirportBolshoye Savino Airport is an international airport in Perm Krai, Russia located 16 km southwest of Perm, in the village of Bolshoye Savino. It is the only airport in Perm Krai with regular scheduled passenger flights. The majority of flights are between Perm and Moscow... - Rostov on Don - Rostov-on-Don AirportRostov-on-Don AirportRostov-on-Don Airport Aeroport Rostov-na-Donu is an international airport located 9 km east of the city of Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia...
- Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
- Pulkovo AirportPulkovo AirportPulkovo Airport is an international airport serving Saint Petersburg, Russia. It consists of two terminals, Pulkovo-1 and Pulkovo-2 , which are located about and south of the city centre, respectively. The airport serves as a hub for Rossiya Airlines , and as focus city for Nordavia... - 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...
- Adler-Sochi International AirportAdler-Sochi International AirportSochi International Airport is an airport located in Adler District of the resort city of Sochi, on the coast of the Black Sea in the federal subject of Krasnodar Krai, Russia.... - TyumenTyumenTyumen is the largest city and the administrative center of Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Population: Tyumen is the oldest Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 16th century to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most...
- Roschino Airport - YekaterinburgYekaterinburgYekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
- Koltsovo Airport
- Anapa
Charter flights
Additionally, Sky Express operates charter flights on a seasonal basis to the following destinations (as of summer 2009):- FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(winter 2009-2010)- KuusamoKuusamoKuusamo is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Oulu province and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
- Kuusamo AirportKuusamo Airport-Statistics:- External links :* *... - RovaniemiRovaniemiRovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
- Rovaniemi AirportRovaniemi AirportRovaniemi Airport is the fifth biggest airport in Finland by annual number of passengers, located in Rovaniemi, Finland, about north of Rovaniemi city centre. The Arctic Circle crosses the runway closer to its northern end.- History :...
- Kuusamo
- GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
- HeraklionHeraklionHeraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
- Nikos Kazantzàkis International Airport - CorfuCorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
- Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport - RhodesRhodesRhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
- Diagoras International Airport
- Heraklion
- HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
- SármellékSármellékSármellék is a village in Zala County, Hungary, notable for the Sármellék International Airport.-External links:*...
- Sármellék International AirportSármellék International AirportSármellék International Airport , also known as FlyBalaton Airport, is an international airport in Hungary located west of Lake Balaton south-southwest of the village of Sármellék, Zala County and Keszthely...
- Sármellék
- SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- IbizaIbizaIbiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
- Ibiza AirportIbiza AirportIbiza Airport is the airport serving the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain, used by 95% of all people who arrive at or depart from these two islands...
- Ibiza
- SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- ÖstersundÖstersundÖstersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
- Åre/Östersund (winter 2009-2010)
- Östersund
- TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
- IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
- Atatürk International AirportAtatürk International AirportAtatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
- Istanbul
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319 | |||
| Boeing 737-300 | |||
| Boeing 737-500 | |||
| Total |
Incidents
- October 24, 2008: The crew of Sky Express flight XW230 from 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...
to Vnukovo Airport with 132 passengers, reported an attempted hijacking by a drunk passenger, who yelled "Allah Akbar" and threatened to explode a bomb demanding the airplane to divert to ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The crew raised a hijack alert almost immediately after liftoff. Emergency services and police were awaiting the plane in MoscowMoscowMoscow 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...
, and the passenger was arrested. http://avherald.com/h?article=40ed4867 - April 2, 2009: A Boeing 737 of Sky Express made an emergency landing at Vnukovo Airport shortly after takeoff when abnormal vibrations from the jet's left engine were detected by the crew. None of the 69 people on board were hurt.