Azimuth: aircraft and routesAzimuth: aircraft and routes

History and development

Azimuth was established as a carrier of the South of Russia. In 2017, the company received an operator certificate and began to build a program on the direct connections of regional centers.

In the early years, Rostov-on-Don and the new Platov Airport occupied an important place in its history. Later, the geography expanded, but the initial task of making flights between regions more convenient remained a recognizable feature of the company.

In 2017, Azimuth signed the first contracts for the Superjet 100 and received an operator certificate in August. The company was originally built around one Russian type of aircraft, and did not assemble a heterogeneous fleet of already available cars.

Azimuth emerged as a new project rather than a simple renaming of the old air force. The company was first registered in Krasnodar, then moved to Rostov-on-Don and ordered the first Superjet 100. Its idea was to link the regional centers of the South of Russia and other cities with straight lines, bypassing the mandatory transfer in Moscow.

Azimuth received its air operator certificate in August 2017 and soon began its own flight program. One of the early points was the Moscow Vnukovo, but the main idea was to develop ties between the southern and other Russian cities. The new carrier built the network from the beginning, relying on the ordered Superjet 100.

Milestones

• 2017: the company was registered in Rostov-on-Don as a carrier focused on communication of the South of Russia.
• Spring 2017: the first contracts for the supply of Superjet 100 were signed.
• August 2017: the certificate of the operator was obtained, which allowed to start the flight program.
• From the very beginning, the park was built around one type of aircraft designed for regional lines.
• After 2022, the closure of some of the southern airports led to the restructuring of routes through other accessible hubs.

Route networks

The strength of such a model is the ability to connect cities without a large transfer hub. For the passenger, this reduces the number of stages of the trip, and for the carrier creates a network of routes between regional centers.

Azimuth's geography is linked to southern airports, including Mineralnye Vody. Specific departures depend on the operation of airports and the seasonal schedule, so the historical base of the company should not be considered a guarantee of a valid flight.

The first plans were closely connected with the airports of Rostov-on-Don and other southern cities. After restrictions on the operation of part of the airports since 2022, the network was rebuilt through accessible points, primarily Mineralnye Vody, Sochi and Moscow.

For the regional model, routes between cities are important, which would otherwise require a transfer in a large hub. The historical pillars were Rostov-on-Don and Mineralnye Vody; restrictions on the operation of a number of southern airports changed this scheme. Therefore, the origin of the company should be distinguished from the airports from which it can operate flights now.

Aircraft and features

The base of the park was the Superjet 100. The regional aircraft is suitable for routes where a direct flight is needed, but there is no demand for the capacity of a larger main liner.

Working with one family of aircraft simplifies crew training and maintenance. Passenger cabin Superjet is different from wide-body liners, so expectations for capacity and layout should be correlated with the regional format of the flight.

Azimuth has a recognizable tradition: aircraft get the names of Russian rivers. It complements the overall southern image of the brand, but does not change the main principle of the company - regional flights on the Superjet 100.

The same type of fleet simplifies crew planning and maintenance, but sets the company a framework for the capacity and range of the flight. All Azimut aircraft are connected by a common tradition of names of Russian rivers. After the restrictions of the southern airports, the historical geography of the company has ceased to coincide with the available network, so the current departure point should always be checked separately.

A single type of aircraft makes the fleet recognizable and reduces the variety of technical procedures. In this case, the Superjet is available in modifications with different range characteristics, so not every route is planned the same way. Assigning river names to aircraft creates an additional link between the brand and the geography of the country through which its flights pass.