RAF-Avia

RAF-Avia is a Latvian airline headquartered in Riga[1] and based at Riga International Airport.[2]

RAF-Avia
IATA ICAO Callsign
- MTL MITAVIA
Founded1990
HubsRiga International Airport
Fleet size7
HeadquartersRiga, Latvia
Websiterafavia.lv

History
The Antonov An-26 is the backbone of the RAF-Avia fleet. Here one of the airline's An-26s is seen landing at Prague Ruzyně Airport (September 2005)
Antonov An-26 RAF-Avia in Belgrade airport

The airline was established in 1990 as the first private airline in Latvia. It started operations in 1991 flying spare parts and supply for the RAF Minibus production plant in Latvia. In 1994 RAF-Avia began to switch to the commercial charter flight business. In 1996 it became a privately owned joint stock company. It is wholly owned by the RAF-Avia Group.[2]

In August 2016, the airline stationed two aircraft at Frankfurt Hahn Airport to operate ad hoc charter flights.[3]

Destinations

RAF-Avia operates cargo services for TNT, DHL and others, as well as transport for the military and the United Nations and passenger charters. In late 2015 RAF-Avia announced that it is considering starting regular passenger flights in 2016.

RAF-Avia operates cargo flights to the following destinations as of August 2020:

    Destinations served by RAF-Avia
    Country City Airport
     Finland Helsinki Helsinki Airport
     France Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport
     Germany Cologne, Bonn Cologne Bonn Airport
    Hahn Frankfurt Hahn Airport
      Switzerland
     France
     Germany    		 Basel
    Mulhouse
    Freiburg im Breisgau    		 EuroAirport Basel
    Mulhouse Freiburg
     Russia Saint Petersburg Pulkovo Airport
     Slovakia Bratislava Bratislava Airport
     Sweden Skövde Skövde Airport
      Switzerland Geneva Geneva Airport
     United Kingdom Birmingham Birmingham Airport

    Fleet

    Current Fleet

    The RAF-Avia fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of August 2017):[4]

    RAF-Avia Fleet
    Aircraft Total Notes
    Antonov An-26 4 [5]
    ATR 42-300QC 1 (as of August 2019)[6]
    ATR 72-200F 1 (as of August 2019)[6]
    Saab 340AF 2
    Saab 340B 2 (as of August 2019)[6]
    Total 9

    Former Fleet

    The RAF-Avia fleet previously included the following aircraft (as of September 2015):[7]

    • 1 further Antonov An-26

    Incidents and accidents
    • On 29 October 2014 an RAF-Avia An-26 was guided to Stansted Airport by RAF fighter jets after losing communication with air traffic controllers over southern England.[8]
    • On 7 January 2019, the SAAB 340B YL-RAF on a positioning flight from Riga to Savonlinna (EFSA, FI) skidded off the runway during landing and was stuck in snow. While there were no injuries, there was damage to the aircraft at both propellers, landing lights and tyres.[9]

    References
    1. Home Archived 1 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine. RAF-Avia. Retrieved on 9 September 2010. Vienibas gatve 26A, Riga, LV 1004, Latvia."
    2. Flight International 12–18 April 2005
    3. http://www.dvz.de/rubriken/luftfracht/single-view/nachricht/flughafen-frankfurt-hahn-gewinnt-raf-avia-als-kunden.html
    4. "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2017): 19.
    5. "Cargo Flights". RAF-Avia. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
    6. "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 19.
    7. http://www.rafavia.lv/fleet
    8. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/29/sonic-boom-kent-raf-latvian-plane
    9. http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4c290156&opt=0

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