Aeroflot is headquartered in Moscow, the capital city of Russia. Aeroflot is the national airline of Russia. Currently, it is the largest airline of Russia, in terms of the number of passengers carried by it, every year. It holds the distinction of being one of the oldest airlines in the world, with its history dating back to 1923. In the Cold War days, it used to be the national airline of the Soviet Union.
In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, "Aeroflot - Soviet Airlines" was transformed into the open stock company "Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines” i.e. transformed from being a state-run enterprise to a semi-privatized airline. In the present time, the airline is doing profitable business in both Domestic and International levels.
It presently flies to 95 destinations across 46 countries in the world. These include 27 destinations in Russia, 6 in CIS, 2 in Africa, 9 in Asia, 40 in Europe, 5 in Middle East, 3 in North America and 1 in the Caribbean. In India,…
The origin of South African Airways can be traced back to 1934, when the South African government purchased an airline named 'Union Airways' and renamed it to South African Airways. The airline first flew to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. In 1935, South African Airways took over South-West African Airways, which since 1932, had been providing a weekly air-mail service between Windhoek and Kimberley. During the same decade, the airline entered international market, by plying flights to Kenya, and Uganda. The airline continued to grow at a slow, yet consistent pace.
In 1945, South African Airways started its European operations, when an Avro York Bomber flew from Palmietfontein to Bournemouth, England. It made history by becoming the first airline outside UK, to operate the world's first pure jetliner - the De Havilland Comet.
At present, South African Airways (SAA) is South Africa’s largest domestic and international airline company. Headquartered near Johannesburg, South Africa,…
Gulf Air was initially founded as a private share holding company, named Gulf Aviation, by an English pilot Freddie Bosworth. The airline launched its services in 1950. The following year, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) bought 22% stake in the company, thus becoming a major shareholder. In 1972, BOAC’s shares were bought by the Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Qatar, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Sultanate of Oman. On January 1, 1974, the Foundation Treaty gave each of the governments a 25% share in the airline, which was re-branded as Gulf Air and became the national carrier of the 4 states. Gulf Air joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 1981 and became the first international airline at Riyadh in the following year.
Gulf Air is the national airline of Bahrain, with its main base at the Bahrain International Airport. One of the oldest air carriers in the Middle East, it is owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman and Emirate of Abu Dhabi.…
Air Canada traces its roots to Trans Canada Air Lines (TCA), established in the year 1936. TCA inaugurated its first flight on September 1, 1937. The inaugural flight flew from Vancouver to Seattle, carrying only two passengers and some mail. By 1964, TCA had grown to become Canada's national airline and changed its name to Air Canada as well. In 1987, Air Canada became the first airline in the world to have a fleet-wide non-smoking policy. Two years later i.e. by 1989, the airline became completely privatized. In 2000, Air Canada acquired Canada's second largest air carrier, Canadian Airlines International.
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic as well as international airlines. A wholly owned subsidiary of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., it also serves as the flag carrier of Canada. The airline is headquartered in Montreal.
The fleets of Air Canada include Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing…
Air France was formed on 7th October 1933, with the merger of five airlines - Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). During World War II, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca, Morocco. After the war was over, the air service company got nationalized and Societe Nationale Air France was set up, on January 1, 1946. The same year, Air France opened its first air terminal at Les Invalides, in central Paris. By 1948, Air France was operating one of the largest fleets in the world, with 130 aircrafts.
Air France is one of the subsidiaries of the Air France KLM Group, the world's leading airline group in terms of its turnover. Air France-KLM is also the largest airline company in the world in terms of operating revenues and the third largest one (being largest in Europe) in terms of passengers-kilometers. The airline is also one of the founding members of the…
Ethiopian Airlines was established on 30th December 1945, by Haile Selassie, the then Emperor of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Airlines is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, based in Addis Ababa, the capital city of the country. Its main hub is Bole International Airport at Addis Ababa. It is the fourth largest African airline, in terms of passengers and destinations.
It is the national airline of Ethiopia, it operates scheduled international passenger and freight services to over 50 destinations across the world. It serves U.S and France, Germany, U.K, Italy, Rome, Belgium and Sweden in Europe. In Asia, it caters to India, China, Israel, Thailand, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Lebanon and Bahrain. In Africa, it flies to Cameroon, Chad, Angola, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Congo and a few other countries. Apart from that, it provides domestic services to 32 destinations and even operates…
Air Astana was established on September 14, 2001 and started operations on May 15, 2002. It began its operations with a fleet of three Boeing 737 aircrafts. Air Astana is the national airline of Kazakhstan. Air Astana is a joint venture between the Government of Kazakhstan and BAE Systems, 51% owned by the government and 49% by BAE. The airline is based in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Air Astana has a fleet of A320-200, Airbus A321-200, Boeing 757-200, Boeing 767-300ER and Fokker50 aircrafts. Air Astana hopes to take its fleet up to 60 aircrafts, by 2022. Air Astana’s route network currently includes 25 domestic and 17 international destinations. It covers Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Turkey and U.K in Europe, while it serves China and South Korea in East Asia, Thailand in South East Asia and Azerbaijan and UAE in South West Asia. In Central Asia, it serves destinations like Kyrgyzstan and almost the whole of Kazakhstan. In India, Air Astana flies to Delhi.
Air Astana is a full member of…
Etihad Airways was founded in July 2003, by virtue of a royal decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa, the President of UAE. The services of the airline commenced on November 5, 2003, with a ceremonial flight to Al Ain. It launched services to Beirut on November 12, 2008, marking the beginning of its commercial operations.
Etihad Airways is the national airline of United Arab Emirates, offering air travel within as well as outside the country. It is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. The airline has a cargo division as well, under the name of Etihad Crystal cargo, which started operations in 2004. The airline has its main base at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Etihad Airways has been honored with over 30 awards since its inauguration in 2003. It holds a four star rating by Skytrax, the UK-based airline consultancy service. Etihad Airways is run by a Board of Directors.
Etihad Airways has a fleet of Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A340-500, Airbus A340-600,…
Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. was established in August 1951 when in the aftermath of Second World War, Japanese government recognized the need for a reliable Transportation system for economic reconstruction of Japan. In 1953, Japanese Parliament passed an Act paving the way for a new state-owned Japan Air Lines. Japan Airlines began its international service on February 2, 1954 when it flew from Tokyo to San Francisco. In 1972, Japanese government granted flag carrier status to JAL.
Japan Airlines Corporation boasts of being the largest airline operated in Asia. Its major hubs are Narita International Airport (for international flights) and Tokyo International Airport (for domestic flights). Currently, the airline operates both scheduled and non-scheduled flights to domestic as well as international destinations, worldwide. Its headquarters are located at Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan.
Japan Airline has a fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30, McDonnell Douglas MD-81, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing…
The origin of Malaysia Airlines can be traced back to 1937, when Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) was incorporated on October 12. MAL was a joint initiative of the Ocean Steamship Company of Liverpool, the Straits Steamship Company of Singapore and Imperial Airways. It was formed to run an air service between Penang and Singapore. On April 2, 1947, the airline conducted its first commercial flight, from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia Airlines is the national airline of Malaysia, offering air travel in the country. It is based at KL International Airport, while its secondary hub is located at Kota Kinabalu. In 1997, the air service operated the longest non-commercial, non-stop flight in the world, from Boeing Field in Seattle to Kuala Lumpur, passing Europe and Africa, breaking the Great Circle Distance without landing anywhere in the middle. It has the largest fleet size in South East Asia and is one of the four airlines in the world to have been awarded a 5-star rating by Skytrax. …
Swiss International Airlines was formed in 2001, when Swissair, former flag carrier of Switzerland, went bankrupt. Swissair’s biggest creditors, Credit Suisse and UBS, sold a part of Swissair's assets to Crossair, the regional counterpart to the transatlantic Swissair. Crossair later changed its name to Swiss, and the new national airline started its operations officially on March 31, 2002.
Swiss International Airlines is the premier airline of Switzerland, with its main hub at Zurich Kloten Airport. The airline has a regional airline subsidiary as well, called Swiss European Air Lines. This carrier has its own air operator certificate and operates the non-Airbus fleet. Headquartered in Basel, it is a subsidiary of the German airline “Lufthansa”. However, Lufthansa continues to maintain Swiss as a separate brand.
The fleet consists of Airbus A319-112, Airbus A320-214, Airbus A321-111, Airbus A330-223, Airbus A330-343X, Airbus A340-313X, and Avro RJ100 "Jumbolino". It flies to Canada,…
Turkish Airlines is the national airline of Turkey. The airline’s prime hub is Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul, while the secondary hubs are located at International Airport, Ankara and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), Istanbul. Turkish Airlines was founded on May 20, 1933 under the name “State Airlines Administration” as a department of Ministry of Defense. Since its inception, the airline has grown at a consistent pace, by adding aircraft to its fleet and increasing its destinations.
Turkish Airlines operates a modern fleet of aircrafts; Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-400, Airbus A340-300, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A320-200 and Airbus A319-100.
Turkish Airlines covers a number of destinations in and out of its home country - Turkey. In Africa, the airline flies to Algeria, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Sudan. The North American countries covered by the airline are…
Virgin Atlantic Airways came into being, when Richard Branson, who was earlier, involved in music records business and had a company by the name 'Virgin Records', decided to enter airlines business. Virgin Atlantic’s forerunner, British Atlantic Airways, operated flights from the UK to the Falkland Islands, starting in 1982. Branson bought British Atlantic Airways and the new airlines - Virgin Atlantic Airways - began its operations on June 22, 1984. The airline's inaugural flight was between London and Newark Liberty.
Virgin Atlantic Airways is a British private airline, operated by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. The Group holds 51% share of the airline, while 49% share is held by Singapore Airlines. Headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, England, Virgin Atlantic Airways operates from its main hubs at London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport. Apart from its main hubs, it also has a small base at Manchester Airport.
Their fleet consists of Boeing 747-400, Airbus A340-600,…
Bellview Airlines started as IATA approved travel agency named 'Bellview Travels Limited' in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1989. The travel agency metamorphosed itself and turned into an airline in October 1992, starting with executive chartered operations with a Yakovlev (Yak-40), which is a regional jet transport aircraft. In 1993, Bellview Airlines commenced scheduled passenger services within Nigeria, using a leased DC-9-30 series aircraft.
It operates scheduled domestic, regional and international charter flights from Lagos. Its main hub is located at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. It holds the distinction of being the first airline in Nigeria to operate Airbus A300-600 aircraft and the first privately owned airline to do so, in Africa. Today, Bellview Airlines and its subsidiary - Bellview Airlines Sierra Leone Ltd - have grown into market leaders in their respective countries - Nigeria and Sierra-Leone.
Bellview currently operates with a fleet of Boeing 737-200 and Boeing…
Czech Airlines is the domestic airline company of the Czech Republic, which is based at Ruzyne Airport, Prague. The airline is run by the Czech Ministry of Finance, Czech Consolidation Agency and some other Czech institutions. A member of the global Sky alliance, it caters to most of the European countries.
Czech air service was set up on 6th October 1923 by the government of Czechoslovakia, as CSA (CeskoSlovenské Aerolinie). Its first transport flight took place between Prague and Bratislava. The airlines operated only domestic flights till 1930, the year in which its first international flight took off, from Prague to Bratislava and on to Zagreb. In May 1995, after the breakup of the Czechoslovak Federation, the airline adopted its present name. Five years later, in 2000, Czech Airlines became a full member of the SkyTeam alliance.
The fleet of Czech Airlines includes several aircrafts, namely Airbus A310-300, Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A321-200, ATR 42-300, ATR…
Although Oman Air, the flagship company of the Sultanate of Oman’s Civil Aviation sector, was founded in 1981, it began operations in 1993. It was a merger between Gulf Air Light Aircraft division and Oman International Services that resulted in the formation of this airline, under the name of Oman Aviation Services. Its inaugural flight was from Muscat to Salalah. Oman Air commenced its international operations in July 1993, with a flight to Dubai. In the same year, the airline started its services to India, with a flight to Thiruvananthapuram. In 2001, Oman Air became the first International foreign Airline to fly to Kochi, India.
The government holds 33.8% stake. It operates scheduled domestic and international passenger services, as well as local air taxi and charter work. Its main hub is at the Muscat International Airport, Muscat. The airline is member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization, a regional airline trade organization of Arab air services, founded in 1965.
Oman…
Philippine Airlines is the oldest national airline of Philippines, with headquarters located at Pasay city. Its major hubs are Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu City. Philippine Airlines is the only airline in the Philippines to be accredited with the IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit), by the International Air Transport Association.
Founded on 26th February 1921, Philippine Airlines is the oldest airline in the country. It was established by a group of businessmen, headed by one of the most celebrated entrepreneur of Philippines, at that time, Andres Soriano. Andres also became the general manager of Philippines Airlines, at the time of its creation. The air service was presided over by its chairman Ramon Fernandez, a former senator. On July 22, it acquired the franchise of the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company. The same year, in September, Philippine Government invested in the airlines, which paved the way for its…
Air travel service was started in Nepal by an Indian company, in 1953. In July 1958, Nepal established her own airline, named as Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC). The airline started its operations with a Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Initially, Royal Nepal Airlines’ regional services were to Simara, Pokhara, Biratnagar, while it plied flights to international destinations including to the Indian cities of Delhi, Patna and Kolkata. In 1960s, the airline began expanding its fleet and its network of destinations. Royal Nepal Airlines acquired the turboprop Fokker F-27s, Twin Otter and Pilatus Porter aircrafts in 1970s, which allowed it to have easy access to a more number of remote and mountainous regions of Nepal. It moved on to purchase Hawker Siddeley HS-748 turboprops and then to and Boeing 727 jet airliners. In 1972, the runway of Kathmandu airport was expanded and then the airline acquired Boeing 727 aircrafts, which were gradually replaced by Boeing 757s. In 2003-2004, Nepal…
The origin of Syrian Arab Airlines can be traced back to 1946, when its forerunner Syrian Airways was established. Its first internal and external flights were carried out using helicopters. Syrian Air was established in October 1961, by the Government of Syria, to succeed Syrian Airways. In 1963, when the Syrian Revolution took place, the airline entered jet age, by acquiring four Super-Caravel jet-engine planes. Its western journey began with flights to Rome & Munich. Gradually, it came to be known as SyrianAir.
Syrian Arab Airlines is the national airline of Syria. It operates both domestic and international services and its main base is Damascus International Airport. Syrian Air is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. Currently, the airline employs a staff of over 10000 and is wholly owned by the Syrian government. Syrian Arab Airlines has code share agreements with Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Yemenia Airlines.
The fleet…
Emirates is the world’s fourth largest airline by scheduled revenue passenger-kilometers flown, the fourth-largest in terms of international passengers carried, and the second-largest in terms of freight tonne kilometers flown. Emirates had the longest non-stop commercial flight from Dubai to Auckland until it was surpassed by Qatar Airways.
Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is wholly owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai.It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 140 cities in 81 countries across six continents. Cargo activities are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo.
Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet. As of last year (2016), Emirates is the largest Airbus A380…