Nordwind Airlines, LLC (Russian: ООО «Северный ветер», romanizedSeverný veter) is a Russian leisure airline. The company is headquartered in Moscow,[3] and its hub is at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Nordwind Airlines primarily operates service between airports in Russia and holiday destinations around Europe and Asia.[4][failed verification]

Nordwind Airlines
Северный ветер
IATA ICAO Call sign
N4 NWS NORDLAND
Founded2008; 16 years ago (2008)
Operating basesSheremetyevo International Airport
SubsidiariesPegas Fly
Fleet size42
Destinations74
Parent companyPegas Touristik[1]
HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
Key peopleShvetsov Igor (General Director)[2]
Websitehttps://nordwindairlines.ru/en

History

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Nordwind Airlines was founded in August 2008 by the Russian and Turkish branches of tour operator Pegas Touristik and initially operated three Boeing 757-200s.[5][6]

The number of passengers transported was as follows:[7]

Year Passengers
2008 20,000
2009 555,000
2010 1.2 million
2011 1.7 million
2012 2.2 million
2013 3.4 million
2014 4.4 million
2015 2.6 million
2016 1.7 million
2017 3.5 million
2018 4.9 million
2019 5.5 million
2020 2.9 million
2021 5.9 million [8]

On April 29, 2013, two surface-to-air missiles were fired by unknown forces in Syria at a Nordwind Airlines jet flying from Sharm El Sheikh to Kazan. The pilots took evasive action and the plane continued onto Kazan undamaged.[9]

In 2017, the airline acquired two used A330s.[10]

The Wall Street Journal reported that Nordwind transported approximately 7.4 tons of gold with a market value over $300 million from Venezuela to a refinery near the airport in Entebbe, Uganda. These March 2019 shipments allegedly expose a global underground economy the United States government suspects helps Nicolás Maduro stay in power in Venezuela.[11]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Nordwind suspended all international flights.[12] A number of leased aircraft, located abroad when the invasion took place have been returned to the lessors.[13] The US Commerce Department, who had previously sanctioned US manufactured aircraft, extended sanctions to the European manufactured Airbus aircraft in Nordwind's fleet in August 2022.[citation needed] Sanctions have also banned Nordwind receiving spare parts for their planes.[14]

Destinations

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Nordwind Airlines Airbus A321-200
 
Nordwind Airlines Airbus A330-200
 
Nordwind Airlines Boeing 737-800
 
Nordwind Airlines Boeing 777-200ER

In 2021 Nordwind serves 98 destinations in 28 countries including nine countries and 23 cities in Europe, eight countries and 12 cities in the Middle East and Africa, four countries and four cities in South America, and six countries and 14 cities in Asia.

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Albania Tirana Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza Terminated [15]
Armenia Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport
Azerbaijan Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport
Lankaran Lankaran Airport
Belarus Minsk Minsk International Airport
Cuba Cayo Coco Cayo Coco Airport Seasonal Charter [16]
Holguín Frank País Airport Seasonal Charter
Santa Clara Abel Santamaría Airport Seasonal Charter
Varadero Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport Seasonal Charter
Camaguey Ignacio Agramonte Airport Seasonal Charter
Cyprus Larnaca Larnaca International Airport Terminated [15]
Dominican Republic Puerto Plata Gregorio Luperón International Airport Seasonal Charter
Punta Cana Punta Cana International Airport Seasonal Charter
Samaná Samaná El Catey International Airport Seasonal Charter
Santo Domingo Las Américas International Airport Seasonal Charter
Egypt Hurghada Hurghada International Airport Seasonal Charter
Sharm El Sheikh Sharm El Sheikh International Airport Seasonal Charter
Germany Berlin Berlin Brandenburg Airport Terminated [17]
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Airport Terminated [17]
Hanover Hannover Airport Terminated [18][17]
Greece Athens Athens International Airport Terminated [19]
Heraklion Heraklion International Airport Terminated [19]
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Airport Terminated [19]
India Goa Dabolim Airport Seasonal Charter
Iran Tehran Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport
Jamaica Montego Bay Sangster International Airport Seasonal Charter
Jordan Aqaba King Hussein International Airport Seasonal Charter
Kazakhstan Almaty Almaty International Airport [20]
Maldives Male Velana International Airport Seasonal Charter
Mexico Cancún Cancún International Airport Seasonal Charter
North Macedonia Skopje Skopje International Airport Terminated [21][22]
Russia Blagoveshchensk Ignatyevo Airport
Cheboksary Cheboksary International Airport
Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk Airport
Irkutsk International Airport Irkutsk
Ivanovo Ivanovo Airport Seasonal [23]
Kaliningrad Khrabrovo Airport [24]
Kazan Ğabdulla Tuqay Kazan International Airport Focus city [25]
Khabarovsk Khabarovsk Novy Airport
Kirov Pobedilovo Airport [26]
Krasnodar Krasnodar International Airport Terminated
Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk International Airport
Magnitogorsk Magnitogorsk International Airport [27]
Makhachkala Uytash Airport [28][29]
Mineralnye Vody Mineralnye Vody Airport
Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport Hub
Nizhnekamsk Begishevo Airport
Nizhnevartovsk Nizhnevartovsk Airport Terminated [30]
Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport
Omsk Omsk Tsentralny Airport
Orenburg Orenburg Tsentralny Airport [31]
Perm Perm International Airport
Rostov-on-Don Platov International Airport Terminated
Saint Petersburg Pulkovo Airport
Samara Kurumoch International Airport [32]
Saransk Saransk Airport Seasonal [33]
Saratov Saratov Gagarin Airport [24]
Sochi Sochi International Airport
Syktyvkar Syktyvkar Airport Terminated [27][34]
Ufa Mustai Karim Ufa International Airport [35]
Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk Baratayevka Airport Seasonal [24]
Volgograd Volgograd International Airport
Yakutsk Yakutsk Airport [25]
Yekaterinburg Koltsovo International Airport [29]
Russia / Ukraine[A 1] Simferopol Simferopol International Airport Terminated [36]
Saudi Arabia Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport
Serbia Belgrade Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
Spain Barcelona Barcelona–El Prat Airport Terminated [22]
Girona Girona Airport Terminated [22]
Palma de Mallorca Palma de Mallorca Airport Terminated [22]
Reus Reus Airport Terminated [22]
Tanzania Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport Seasonal Charter
Tajikistan Bokhtar Bokhtar International Airport
Khujand Khujand Airport [35][31]
Thailand Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Seasonal Charter
Krabi Krabi International Airport Seasonal Charter
Pattaya U-Tapao International Airport Seasonal Charter
Phuket Phuket International Airport Seasonal Charter
Surat Thani Surat Thani International Airport
Tunisia Djerba Djerba–Zarzis International Airport Seasonal Charter
Monastir Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport Seasonal Charter
Turkey Antalya Antalya Airport Seasonal Charter
Dalaman Dalaman Airport Seasonal Charter
İzmir İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport Seasonal Charter
Istanbul Istanbul Airport Seasonal Charter
Turkmenistan Turkmenabat Turkmenabat Airport
United Arab Emirates Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport Seasonal Charter
Sharjah Sharjah International Airport [37]
Uzbekistan Fergana Fergana International Airport
Karshi Karshi Airport
Namangan Namangan Airport
Samarkand Samarkand International Airport
Urgench Urgench International Airport
Venezuela Porlamar Santiago Mariño Caribbean International Airport Seasonal Charter [38]
Vietnam Nha Trang Cam Ranh International Airport Seasonal Charter

Fleet

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As of September 2024, Nordwind Airlines fleet comprises the following aircraft:[39]

Nordwind Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A321-200 3 220 220
Airbus A321neo 2 218 218
Airbus A330-200 2 361 361
Airbus A330-300 3 34 259 293
Boeing 737-800 10 12 156 168 VP-BSA returned to Ireland
VP-BDU returned to lessor
189 189
Boeing 777-200ER 2 440 440
Boeing 777-300ER 2 6 480 486 VP-BJP returned to the USA
486 486
Irkut MC-21-300 5[citation needed] TBA
Total 24 5

In 2022 Air Lease Corporation are seeking to recover two A321neo and four Boeing 737-800s, as the lease payments are not being made.[citation needed]

The fleet previously included the following aircraft:

References

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  1. ^ "Russia's Nordwind to lease three B737-800s from CBD". ch-aviation. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Nordwind: Senior Management". Archived from the original on 2017-08-15. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
  3. ^ About Nordwind
  4. ^ "Nordwind - Home". Nordwind.
  5. ^ "Nordwind Airlines (ATDB)". Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Boeing 757 Active with Nordwind Airlines". Airfleets.net. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  7. ^ About Nordwind
  8. ^ "Passenger traffic at Russian airlines". Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Missiles Fired At Passenger Jet Over Syria 29 April 2013". Sky News. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  10. ^ Montag-Girmes, Polina (July 14, 2017). "Russia's Nordwind Airlines expands fleet with two A330s". Air Transport World.
  11. ^ Steinhauser, Gabriele; Bariyo, Nicholas (2019-06-19). "How 7.4 Tons of Venezuela's Gold Landed in Africa—and Vanished". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  12. ^ "Nordwind Airlines suspends all international flights". Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Five Russian airlines have returned leased jets -document". 1 June 2022.
  14. ^ "BIS renews temporary denial orders against Pobeda, Nordwind & Siberian Airlines". 11 January 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Updated: All the European countries affected by Ukraine travel bans and sanctions so far". Euronews. 28 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Flights to Cuba launch from Pulkovo". pulkovoairport.ru. Air Gate of the Northern Capita. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  17. ^ a b c "Ukraine invasion: Russian planes face near-total airspace ban to west". BBC. 27 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Nordwind schedules Hannover service from May 2019".
  19. ^ a b c "Greece closes its airspace for Russian airlines". Reuters. 28 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Nordwind schedules new Central Asia service in 2Q19".
  21. ^ https://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/04/norwind-to-launch-skopje-service.html Norwind to launch Skopje Service/
  22. ^ a b c d e "Ukraine travel bans and sanctions: All the countries that have been affected so far". Euronews. 27 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Аэропорт "Иваново" открывает продажу билетов на новый рейс Иваново – Махачкала!". ivanovo.aero. Аэропорт «Иваново». Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  24. ^ a b c "4 старо-новых прямых рейса в Калининград — из Новосибирска, Кирова, Саратова и Ульяновска | Vandrouki.ru". vandrouki.ru. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Кышын Казаннан Кувейт һәм Кытайга авиарейслар җибәрергә планлаштыралар". Казан шәһәренең җирле үзидарә. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  26. ^ Магомедов, Шамиль (18 March 2024). "Nordwind начнет совершать полеты из Махачкалы в Киров". Travel.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Прямые рейсы в Сочи из Магнитогорска и Сыктывкара запустят в феврале". kub-inform.ru. Кубань Информ. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Дагестан с апреля 2024г увеличит частоту авиарейсов в Санкт-Петербург". РБК (in Russian). 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Nordwind начнет летать между Махачкалой и Екатеринбургом". Travel.ru (in Russian). 18 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  30. ^ Кожевова, Алёна (3 July 2024). "Авиакомпания, открывшая рейс Нижневартовск – Казань, закрывает его спустя месяц — Сетевое издание Вестник - Новости Сургутского района и Югры". vestniksr.ru (in Russian). Вестник Сургутского района. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Стартовала продажа билетов на рейсы из аэропорта Оренбурга в Худжанд". oren.aero. Orenburg Airport JSC. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Nordwind будет выполнять рейсы между Махачкалой и Самарой". Travel.ru (in Russian). 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Авиарейс из Саранска в Махачкалу планируют запустить в мае 2024 года (АвиаПорт)". АвиаПорт.Ru (in Russian). 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  34. ^ "Выполнявшая рейсы Сыктывкар — Махачкала авиакомпания досрочно завершила летную программу". БНК (in Russian). 24 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  35. ^ a b Субботина, Дарья (29 February 2024). "Для жителей Башкирии возобновят прямые регулярные рейсы из Уфы в Худжанд". www.bashinform.ru (in Russian). Bashinform. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  36. ^ Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
  37. ^ "Nordwind launches sales to Sharjah | Nordwind Airlines".
  38. ^ "El gobierno ruso autoriza más vuelos hacia Venezuela - Aviacionline.com". 20 September 2021.
  39. ^ "Fleet". nordwindairlines.ru. Nordwind Airlines. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  40. ^ "Airbus A320 in Nordwind Airlines history". Airfleets.net. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  41. ^ "Boeing 767 in Nordwind Airlines history". Airfleets.net. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  42. ^ "Nordwind Airlines fleet details". Airfleets.net. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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