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History
- RAF-AVIA Airlines has been operating in Latvian transportation system since 31st October 199O. These have been years of purposeful work and trials that have asserted the company's viability in the changing economic environment, ability to conquer the market and expand it in line with the requirements of the new age. Ideology and form of ownership of RAF-AVIA has changed, however the principle "Safely, confidently, accurately" remains our leitmotif in contacts with our customers, partners and staff.
History in brief:
31st October 199O - Director of Jelgava minibus factory RAF issued order Nr. 99O by which RAF-AVIA air unit was established. Jury Hmelevsky was put in charge of the implementation. He became the commander of the new team.
The purpose of RAF-AVIA air unit was to perform supply functions delivering parts for minibuses from all over the vast, now former, USSR to Jelgava to be mantled there. The historic order comprised an annex: a timetable of operations with concrete dates for the purchase of two AN - 26 aircraft as well as the possibility of acquisition of AN - 74 mentioned.
31st May 1991- the first aircraft AN - 26 was delivered from Kiev, the Ukraine to Riga. Two months later, on 19th August the first flight Riga -Niznijnovgorod - Riga took place. In the first year of operations the airlines with the two aircraft already flew 72 hours a month, that amounted to 865 hours in total. Next year, in 1992. the figures of operated flights increased dramatically: the three aircraft flew 194 hours per month that constituted 2197 hours of total annual performance.
December 1994 - RAF-AVIA air unit was transformed into a mixed-type joint-stock company with the State as one of the shareholders. The transformation of RAF-AVIA into a joint-stock company followed from the re-organisation of Jelgava minibus factory RAF. It resulted in the
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establishment of three independent joint-stock companies: RAF in Jelgava, ITC - Technical Engineering Centre in Riga and RAF-AVIA. At the same time RAF-AVIA continued to co-operate with minibus factory RAF and performed also commercial transportation services.
November 1999- the privatisation process that had begun in 1996 was completed. All shares of State capital were purchased and RAF-AVIA became a privately-owned joint-stock company. As early as in 1998 RAF-AVIA Airlines owned four AN-26 airplanes. The company fulfilled contracts that comprised 200 flight hours per month and amounted to 2386 flight hours per year in total.
RAF-AVIA Airlines takes pride in its pilots and crew as well as the management and administration. The company intends to expand the area covered by its cargo and passenger flights. We advance from the foundation of our firm belief: "safely, confidently, accurately!"
Today we operate: 5 AN-26 Freighter and 2 SAAB-340 Freighter.
Furure:
- Throughout
its development RAF-AVIA has consistently advanced towards the goals
while setting new goals for the future. The Airlines is committed to:
- continue and expand cooperation with the world's largest integrators;
extend the range of available services by offering routes of longer range and operating flights without landing at transit points;
- start operatins with passenger SAAB- 340B. |
