Royal Flight (airline)
| Company type | Joint stock company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Abakan-Avia |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 2022 |
| Fate | Operations discontinued due to market conditions and sanctions |
| Headquarters | Abakan , Russia |
Area served | Russia, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Caribbean |
| Products | Charter airline services |
| Owner | Coral Travel (from 2014) |
Number of employees | 76 (2007) |
Joint stock company Royal Flight Airlines (), previously known as Abakan-Avia (), was a charter airline based in Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, Russia. The airline specialized in charter services linking Russian cities with vacation spots throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. Its main hub was located at Abakan Airport (ABA).
History
Established in 1992 under the name Abakan-Avia as a spin-off from an Aeroflot division, the airline initiated domestic cargo operations in 1993 and expanded to international routes by 1994. In 1999, Sobol acquired a majority shareholding of 70%. By March 2007, the workforce numbered 76 employees. Plans for a merger with RusAir in 2002 did not come to fruition. In July 2014, Coral Travel, a Russian tour operator, purchased the airline and rebranded it as Royal Flight Airlines.
Operations were discontinued in May 2022 due to difficult market conditions coupled with sanctions impacting Russia’s aviation industry.
Destinations
As of July 2019, Royal Flight served a variety of international and domestic locations, with a focus on seasonal charter services. Notable destinations included:
| Country/region | City | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Burgas | Burgas Airport | Service ended |
| Taiwan | Taipei | Taoyuan International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong International Airport | Cargo operations |
| China | Chongqing | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| China | Guiyang | Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| China | Hefei | Hefei Xinqiao International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| China | Nanning | Nanning Wuxu International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| China | Ningbo | Ningbo Lishe International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| China | Macau | Macau International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
| Cuba | Varadero | Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Cuba | Holguín | Frank País Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Cyprus | Larnaca | Larnaca International Airport | Service ended |
| Dominican Republic | Punta Cana | Punta Cana International Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Greece | Corfu | Corfu International Airport | Service ended |
| Greece | Kos | Kos International Airport | Service ended |
| Greece | Rhodes | Rhodes International Airport | Service ended |
| India | Goa | Dabolim Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Italy | Bari | Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Italy | Catania | Catania–Fontanarossa Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Italy | Naples | Naples International Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Mexico | Cancún | Cancún International Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Montenegro | Tivat | Tivat Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Morocco | Agadir | Agadir–Al Massira Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Russia (main hubs) | Moscow Domodedovo / Sheremetyevo / Saint Petersburg Pulkovo / Yekaterinburg Koltsovo Airports | Multiple airports | Bases supporting seasonal and regular charters within Russia |
| Russia (various) | Multiple cities including Abakan, Arkhangelsk, Barnaul, Belgorod, Bryansk, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Sochi, Vladivostok, Volgograd | Regional airports | Primarily seasonal charters catering to domestic leisure travel |
| Spain (popular tourist areas) | Barcelona / Palma de Mallorca / Reus Airports | Routes discontinued | |
| Sri Lanka | Colombo | Bandaranaike International Airport | Seasonal charters |
| Thailand | Krabi / Pattaya / Phuket | Various airports | Seasonal leisure charters |
| Tunisia | Djerba / Enfidha | Regional airports | Seasonal charters |
| Turkey | Alanya / Antalya / Bodrum / Dalaman | Various airports | Holiday-focused seasonal charters |
| Vietnam | Nha Trang / Phu Quoc | Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc Airports | Seasonal charters |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Al Maktoum International Airport | Seasonal charter flights |
Royal Flight’s route network concentrated on seasonal leisure travel markets spanning Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Russia. The airline maintained important operational centers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg to facilitate both domestic and international charter services. Several European connections were discontinued due to geopolitical tensions affecting air traffic.
Fleet
By March 2022, the Royal Flight's aircraft inventory consisted of the following models:
| Aircraft | Operational Units | Seating Capacity | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Overall | |||
| Boeing 737-800 | 1 | — | 189 | 189 | |
| Boeing 757-200 | 1 | — | 235 | 235 | Currently stored at Václav Havel International Airport as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 2 | — | 325 | 325 | |
| — | 330 | 330 | |||
| Boeing 777-300ER | 2 | 14 | 478 | 492 | |
| Total | 11 | 14 | 1457 | 1471 | |