Tabi'atstani Airways is the flag carrier and one of two airlines with origins in Tabi'atstan, the other being Ladybird Airlines. Tabi'atstani Airways was founded in 1936 and it is one of the largest airlines in the Toy Islands. Its headquarters are in NAME District, Qal'eh Manar, and its flight operations are based primarily at Qal'eh Manar Damurin International Airport.
Tabi'atstani Airways has a cargo subsidiary named Tabi'atstani Airways Cargo.
History[]
Formation[]
On the 12 December 1925, the Tabi'atstani Civil Aviation Administration (TCAA) was founded to organise civil aviation activities within Tabi'atstan.
On the 7 March 1936, the TCAA experienced a restructuring process, with the entire air fleet being put under the new "Tabi'atstani Airways", thus marking the formation of the current flag carrier of Tabi'atstan.
Post-World War II operations[]
The first five Il-18 passenger planes of the Il-18A model were imported from the Soviet Union in 1959, of which two were assigned to the Air Force and three to Tabi'atstani Airways.
The Krakozhian DAZ-52 Bajić jet airliner began operating on domestic lines of Tabi'atstani Airways in 1961.
In 1968, the first Tu-134s entered service with Tabi'atstani Airways, beginning to replace the DAZ-52 Bajić.
The first of ten Il-62s was received by Tabi'atstani Airways in 1971. Shortly afterwards, in 1972, Tabi'atstani Airways placed a firm order for 30 BAC Super VC10s at a cost of £3 million each, leading BAC to reopen the VC10 production line at a cost of £20 million. In comparison with the more common Soviet-produced aircraft, the VC10s were widely praised for their comfort and low cabin-noise level. In the same year, Tabi'atstani Airways received its first Tu-154 aircraft (Tu-154B variant).
In 1977 Tabi'atstani Airways received its first improved Il-62Ms.
Supersonic transport[]
A pair of Tupolev Tu-144s in service with Tabi'atstani Airways
- Main article: History of the Tu-144 in Tabi'atstani service
Since the first supersonic flight of the Tupolev Tu-144 on the 5 June 1969, Tabi'atstani Airways had been interested in procuring the aircraft. In early 1974, despite the bad press created by the 1973 Paris Air Show crash, Tabi'atstani Airways began negotiations to purchase the type, and in 1979 the first of four Tupolev Tu-144Ds entered service with Tabi'atstani Airways.
1980s[]
In 1980 the airline's fleet of Lisunov Li-2 propeller-driven transport aircraft and DAZ-52 Bajić short-range jet airliners left service.
The airline retired its fleet of Ilyushin Il-14s in 1982.
Tabi'atstani Airways received its first four Ilyushin Il-86s in 1986, the first wide-body jet airliners in service with the airline.
Restructuring[]
All remaining Ilyushin Il-18s were retired in 1990.
Six Yakovlev Yak-42Ds were acquired for the airline in 1992 (two additional aircraft were ordered for the TRAF).
In February 1994, US President Bill Clinton lifted the trade embargo to allow Tabi'atstani Airways to acquire Western-built aircraft.
Fokker 70s were purchased in mid-1995 with the aim of partly replacing the Tu-134 fleet on domestic routes as well as serving as VIP transports.
In 1996 the airline considered Boeing 737s and McDonnell Douglas MD-90s for short-haul flights, and the Airbus A340, Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 were topics of discussion for long-haul flights.
In 1999 the airline launched its frequent flyer bonus programme.
Crisis years and recovery[]
Tabi'atstani Airways' buying spree of Western aircraft was cut short in 2000 when sanctions were applied to Tabi'atstan after a coup d'état against Khorshid Pirooz Paresh was executed on the 21 September 2000 by the Higher State Committee for the Protection of the Union.
Due to local political instability, particularly with the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War, the first half of the 2000s were considered a crisis period for Tabi'atstani Airways. The only purchases of note in this period were when the airline acquired two An-124-100 Ruslan strategic airlifters in 2003 and placed an order for five convertible Ilyushin Il-96-300s in July 2004.
The end in 2005 of an EU arms embargo and associated sanctions applied as a result of the suppression of the 1989 Tabi'atstani protests and the 2000 Tabi'atstani coup d'état allowed Tabi'atstani Airways to acquire Western aircraft again. However, the sanctions themselves had taught the airline that it would be prudent to have an insurance plan, and orders began again for aircraft from indigenous design bureaus as well as from Chinese and Russian sources, despite their generally comparative lack of technological sophistication and lower fuel efficiency.
Five Tupolev Tu-204-100 narrow-body jet airliners were delivered from mid-2007, three for cargo and two for carrying passengers.
Development since 2010[]
In January 2011 an order was placed for 30 Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jets with options for 10 more, with the first aircraft entering service in 2013. Additionally, the first of 20 Embraer E190 narrow-body airliners were inducted into service in 2011.
In February 2013, Tabi'atstani Airways signed a deal for the order of three 350-seater Ilyushin Il-96-400s.
In July 2016 the airline signed an order for 30 Comac ARJ21-700 regional jets with options for another 30.
In 2018 the airline placed an order for 20 Irkut MC-21-300 narrow-body airliners.
The first of 30 Comac ARJ21-700 regional jets was delivered in December 2022.
Destinations[]
- Main article: List of Tabi'atstani Airways destinations
Tabi'atstani Airways' route network extends throughout the Toy Islands to Asia, the Middle East, Western Europe, and North America from its hubs at Qal'eh Manar Damurin International Airport and AIRPORT. It also currently reaches a significant number of Asian, Australian and European destinations from Neshtisha. It is one of the few world airlines that fly to all habitable continents.
Alliances[]
Tabi'atstani Airways is a member of StratoGroup.
[]
Tabi'atstani Airways codeshares with the following airlines:
- Aero Kalpala
- Concasa
- Gyormar-Kazvhalian Airlines
- Jauhdaerah Airlines
- KDA Medžulětańje
- TAVAL
- Trevallair
Interline agreements[]
Tabi'atstani Airways has interline agreements with the following airlines:
Other functions[]
Apart from typical passenger and cargo transport services, Tabi'atstani Airways also serves in such functions as aeromedical services, crop-dusting, heavy lifting for the Tabi'atstani National Space Agency, offshore oil platform support, exploration for natural resources, support for construction projects, transport of military troops and supplies (as an adjunct to the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Air Force), atmospheric research, and remote area patrol. The airline has access to hundreds of specialised aircraft and helicopters to aid in these roles, and operates the presidential aircraft and other VIP transports for government and communist party officials.
The airline has very close relations with the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Air Force, and the military has the right to requisition Tabi'atstani Airways aircraft in times of need.
Fleet[]
History and recent developments[]
Current[]
Tabi'atstani Airways Passenger Fleet
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Options | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | W | E | Total | |||||
| ATR 72-500 | – | – | N/A | N/A | 66 | 66 | ||
| Antonov An-2P | 437 | – | – | N/A | N/A | 10 | 10 | |
| Antonov An-2PD-5 | 36 | – | – | 5 | N/A | N/A | 5 | VIP transport |
| Antonov An-2PD-6 | 29 | – | – | 6 | N/A | N/A | 6 | VIP transport |
| Antonov An-10A | 21 | – | – | 100 | ||||
| Antonov An-24A | 27 | – | – | 50 | ||||
| Antonov An-24B | 31 | – | – | 50 | ||||
| Antonov An-148 | 56 | – | 54 | N/A | All grounded since 2018 due to technical issues. | |||
| Comac ARJ21-700 | 2 | 28 | 30 | |||||
| Gisich BT-860A | 15 | – | – | |||||
| Ilyushin Il-96-300 | 5 | – | – | N/A | 18 | 244 | 262 | |
| Irkut MC-21-300 | – | 20 | – | |||||
| Let L-410 Turbolet | – | – | ||||||
| Lisitsyn Li-135 | 13 | – | – | 120 | N/A | N/A | 120 | |
| Lisitsyn Li-184 | – | – | ||||||
| Lyangleben M30 | – | – | ||||||
| Sukhoi Superjet 100 | 3 | 27 | 10 | |||||
| Tupolev Tu-204-100 | 2 | – | – | N/A | 12 | 212 | 224 | |
| Wang Wa-90 | ||||||||
Tabi'atstani Airways Cargo Fleet
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Options | Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-2T | 378 | – | – | ||
| Antonov An-2TP | 231 | – | – | Convertible passenger/cargo | |
| Antonov An-10AS | 19 | – | – | 14,500 kg | |
| Antonov An-24 | 34 | – | – | 6,500 kg | |
| Antonov An-24T | 53 | – | – | ||
| Antonov An-24TV | 41 | – | – | ||
| Antonov An-124-100 | 2 | – | – | 120,000 kg | |
| Gisich BT-860T | 20 | – | – | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76M | 1 | – | – | 42,000 kg | |
| Ilyushin Il-76T | 5 | – | – | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76TD | 15 | – | – | 48,000 kg | |
| Tupolev Tu-204-100 | 3 | – | – | 21,000 kg |
Tabi'atstani Airways Helicopter Fleet
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Options | Passengers/Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamov Ka-15M | 75 | – | – | 1 passenger/250 kg cargo | |
| Kamov Ka-18 | 20 | – | – | 3 passengers | |
| Kamov Ka-26 | 511 | – | – | 6 passengers/900 kg cargo | Cropdusting capability |
| Kamov Ka-62 | 0 | 7 | 93 | 12-15 passengers | |
| Kamov Ka-226 | 8 | – | 7 | 6 passengers/1,000 kg cargo | |
| Lyangleben LYa-118 | 4 passengers/1,200 kg cargo | ||||
| PZL W-3 Sokół | 20 | – | – | 12 passengers/2,100 kg cargo | |
| Sharov Sha-46 | – | – | 60 passengers/12,000 kg cargo |
Tabi'atstani Airways Other Aircraft
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Options | Passengers/Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PZL-Mielec M-15 Belphegor | 175 | – | – | 2 passengers/2,900 l liquid/2,200 kg cargo | Agricultural jet aircraft |
| PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader | – | – | 1 passenger/2,200 kg liquid | Cropduster/firefighter |
Historic fleet[]
| Aircraft | Total | Year introduced | Year retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aero Ae-45 | 530 | |||
| Airbus A310-200 | 3 | 2006 | ||
| Airbus A310-300 | 2 | 1994 | ||
| Antonov An-140 | 25 | 2014 | ||
| BAC Super VC10 | 30 | 1981 | ||
| DAZ-52 Bajić | 100 | 1961 | 1980 | |
| Embraer E190 | 20 | 2011 | 2021 | |
| Fokker 70 | 1995 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-14M | ||||
| Ilyushin Il-14P | ||||
| Ilyushin Il-18A | 3 | 1959 | 1985 | |
| Ilyushin Il-18B | 6 | 1964 | ||
| Ilyushin Il-18 Combi | 17 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18D | 12 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18D Salon | 4 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18E | 18 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18E Salon | 3 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18I | 27 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18I Salon | 6 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18V | 41 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-18V Salon | 7 | |||
| Ilyushin Il-62 | 10 | 1971 | ||
| Ilyushin Il-62M | 6 | 1977 | 2013 | |
| Ilyushin Il-86 | 59 | 1986 | 2011 | |
| Lisunov Li-2 | 31 | 1980 | ||
| Polikarpov Po-2 | 25 | 1945 | 1956 | |
| Sohrabzade So-50 | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-104A | 6 | 1957 | 1979 | |
| Tupolev Tu-114-200 | 2 | 1967 | 1991 | |
| Tupolev Tu-144D | 4 | 1979 | ||
| Tupolev Tu-134 | 1968 | |||
| Tupolev Tu-134A | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-134A1 | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-134A3 | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-134B3 | 2019 | |||
| Tupolev Tu-154A | 1974 | |||
| Tupolev Tu-154B | 15 | 1972 | ||
| Tupolev Tu-154M-100 | 12 | 1998 | 2020 | |
| Vickers Viscount | 6 | 1964 | 1984 | |
| Yakovlev Yak-12 | 32 | 1949 | 1973 | |
| Yakovlev Yak-18T | 12 | |||
| Yakovlev Yak-42 | 8 | 1982 | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-42D | 6 | 1992 |
On-board amenities[]
In 2009, Tabi'atstani Airways began adding Muslim prayer rooms to some of its wide-body aircraft with LCD screens showing the direction of Mecca.
Catering[]
In flight catering is provided by Tabi'atstani Airways Catering.
In-flight entertainment[]
Incidents and accidents[]
See also[]
| Government agencies | Ministry of Transport (Rail, Aviation, Sea) • Space | |
|---|---|---|
| Road | Automotive industry • Driving licence • Expressways • Licence plates | |
| Rail | High-speed • Lines • Locomotives • Rapid transit systems | |
| Water | Ports | Content |
| Canals | Content | |
| Industry | Shipping industry • Depatkerum Shipyard • Jutrowghanzar Shipyard • Nefrit Design Bureau • Sapfir Design Bureau • Sharghkaraneh–Tabi'atstan Shipbuilding • Sharghshatt Shipyard • Tabi'atstan State Shipbuilding Corporation – Iceberg Central Design Bureau • Yuzhnyy Design Bureau • Zhenzhu Design Bureau | |
| Aviation | Major airlines | Tabi'atstani Airways • Ladybird Airlines |
| Airports | By traffic • Major airports: Qal'eh Manar Damurin International | |
| Industry | Gisich Design Bureau • Jaqubzodk Design Bureau • Kuchik-Bogomolov Design Bureau • Lisitsyn Design Bureau • Lyangleben Aircraft Design Bureau • Sharov Helicopter Design Bureau • Tabi'atstan United Aviation Industry Corporation | |
| Space | Space programme • TRA Space Forces | |
| Other topics | Bridges | |