Polar Airlines Explained
Polar Airlines should not be confused with Polar Air Cargo.
| Airline: | State Unitary Enterprise "Aircompany "Polar Airlines"
ГУП «Авиакомпания «Полярные авиалинии» |
| Fleet Size: | 56 |
| Destinations: | 20 |
| Iata: | PI |
| Icao: | RKA |
| Callsign: | AIR SAKHA |
| Parent: | Government owned |
| Headquarters: | Yakutsk, Russia |
| Key People: | Andrei Vasiliyevich Koryakin (GeneralDirector)[1] |
| Bases: | Yakutsk Airport |
| Website: | https://polar.aero/ |
Polar Airlines (Russian: Полярные авиалинии, Poljarnýe avialinii) is an airline based in Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Russia. It operates scheduled and charter passenger and cargo services.[2] In 2022, it became part of Russia's single far-eastern airline, along with four other airlines.[3] [4]
History
The airline began operations in 1997. It was formed from the Batagai, Kolyma-Indigirka, Chukordakh and Tiksi sub-divisions of Aeroflot.[2]
Destinations
Polar Airlines operates scheduled flights to the following destinations (as of January 2013):[5]
- Russia
Accidents & Incidents
- May 16, 2003: Antonov An-3T RA-05881 force-landed 28 mi from Sangara due to engine failure caused by bad weather; all 13 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.
November 18, 2005: Antonov An-2TP RA-02252 crashed on a mountain 19 mi from Sangar in bad weather; all 12 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.
November 21, 2012: Flight 227 (performed by Antonov An-26 RA-26061) from Yakutsk to Deputatsky overshot the runway on landing by 70 metres. The airline reported an icy runway as the cause. The plane received substantial damage[6] but no injuries were reported.[7]
July 2, 2013: Flight 9949, a Mil Mi-8 (registration RA-22657) crashed into a hill top 66 km from Deputatsky in the Sakha Republic. 19 of the 25 passengers and 3 crew were killed; of these deaths, several children were involved. 11 of the 25 passengers were children. A post-crash fire consumed the aircraft.[8] [9] [10] This was the first fatal accident for the airline.
August 16, 2013: Flight 9977, an Antonov An-2TP (registration RA-01419), made a forced landing near Vilyuisk following an unexplained engine problem; all 11 on board survived, but the aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire.
October 11, 2016: Flight 203, an Antonov An-26 RA-26660 landed short of the runway at Belaya Gora Airport. The aircraft was severely damaged. All 33 people on board survived.[11]
Fleet
As of July 2012 the Polar Airlines fleet includes:[1] [12]
Notes and References
- Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State Air Traffic Management Corporation", Airline Reference, Vol. 1, Russian Federation, 27 April 2007, p. 351
- News: Directory: World Airlines . . 64 . 2007-04-10.
- Web site: О компании - «ЧукотАвиа» . 2022-12-06 . chukotavia.com.
- Web site: Авиакомпании Дальнего Востока перейдут на единый бренд . 2022-12-06 . РБК . ru.
- Web site: Карта полетов. 2020-11-10. Полярные Авиалинии.
- Web site: Archived copy . 2012-11-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101005259/http://www.avsim.su/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=397427 . 2013-11-01 .
- Web site: Accident: Polar AN26 at Deputatsky on Nov 21st 2012, overran runway. 2020-11-10. avherald.com.
- News: 2013-07-02. Children die in air crash in Russia's Sakha Republic. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-11-10.
- Web site: 19 people die in Russian helicopter crash: official. 2020-11-10. NDTV.com.
- Web site: Катастрофа Ми-8Т а/к Полярные авиалинии в Усть-Янском районе Якутии. ru. Accident Mi-8 Yakutia. airdisaster.ru. 29 October 2013.
- Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Antonov An-26-100 RA-26660 Belaya Gora Airport (BGN). 2020-11-10. aviation-safety.net.
- http://www.polarair.ru/content/blogsection/5/34/ Polar Airlines fleet
