BEL is established at Riga late in 1994 to undertake passenger charters to regional and European destinations. Revenue operations commence with a single Tupolev Tu-154M leased from A/S Elk.
Vladimir Litovar is general director in 1998-1999 and he oversees a workforce of 37. The fleet is enhanced by the acquisition of a Tu-134B and a large number of destinations are now visited, including Abu Dhabi, Agadir, Alicante, Almeria, Antalya, Bangkok, Barbados, Berlin, Cancun, Capetown, Catania, Chiang Mai, Ciego de Avila, Cologne, Colombo, Djerba, Dusseldorf, Erfurt, Faro, Ft. Myers, Frankfurt, Fuerteventura, Funchai, Hamburg, Hanover, Holguin, Hurghada, Ibiza, Kathmandu, Larnaca, Lanzarote, Los Angeles, Luxor, Maie, Malaga, Miami, Monastir, Montego Bay, Munich, Munster, New York (JFK), Nuremberg, Orlando, Palma de Mallorca, Phoenix, Phuket, Poriamar, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Saarbrucken, Salzburg, San Jose, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Santo Domingo, Seville, Stuttgart, Tenerife, Utapao, Varadero, Westerland, and Windhoek.
Higher fuel costs and intense competition forces the carrier into insolvency and it ceases operations on September 28, 2000.
BELAIR, LTD.: Nigeria (1991-1992). Bel Air is established by former Nigeria Airways Chairman/CEO A. D. Bello at Lagos in December 1991 to offer domestic scheduled passenger and cargo commuter services with a pair of Dornier 228-202s.
Unable to maintain viability in a time of recession, the carrier folds in 1992. The new entrant, Afrimex, Ltd., will assume operations.
BELAIR (AIR BELARUS): Korotkevicha Str. 5, Minsk, 222039, Belarus; Phone 375 (0172) 250 702; Fax 375 (0172) 253 045; Code BL; Year Founded 1991. Privately owned Belair is established at Minsk in 1991 and is entirely independent of the Aeroflot division and soon-to-be independent Belavia. The company is outfitted with a fleet that includes 2 Ilyushin Il-76MDs, 1 Tupolev Tu-134A, and 6 Yakovlev Yak-40s. These undertake all-cargo services on regional routes in 1992-1994 and, in addition, fly charters for other carriers, including some western operators.
While landing at Sarajevo after an all-cargo service from Luxembourg on December 3 of the latter year, an Il-76TD overruns the runway and strikes a ditch, causing its nosegear to collapse; there are no fatalities.
Operations continue apace in 1995-2000, during which years the fleet is altered to comprise 3 Il-76TDs, 2 Tu-134As, and 1 Yak 40. Emphasis is placed on nonscheduled service to the Far East and among destinations visited are Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kaoshsiung, Macau, and Taipei.
BELAIR (ILE DE FRANCE, S. A.): France (1994-2000). Belair (Ile de France) is set up at Paris (ORY) in late 1994 to fly public passenger charters and operate promotional flights. Revenue services commence in September 1995 with a single Boeing 727-200A.
Flights continue in 1996-1998. On January 18 of the latter year, a Douglas DC-10-30 is chartered from Condor Flugdienst, GmbH. The wide-body enters service at the end of March 1999.
Due to rising fuel prices and declining income during the summer and fall holiday seasons, this charter airline ceases operations on January 21, 2000. The German transport is returned.
BELAVIA(BELORUSSIAN AIRLINES): Minsk Aerodromnaya, Sr 4, Minsk, 220065, Belarus; Phone 375 (0172) 25 59 02; Fax 375 (0172) 25 15 66; Code B2; Year Founded 1993. The Aeroflot Soviet Airlines/Aeroflot Russian International Airlines (ARIA) directorate of Belarus CAD is reorganized at its Minsk Aerodromnaya base in November 1993, being transformed into the flag carrier of the new republic. Oleg V. Ryzhikov is director general and his company assumes ownership of the former directorate’s fleet of 19 Antonov An-24s, 7 An-26s, 21 Tupolev Tu-154BMs, 19 Tu-134As, and 8 Yakovlev Yak-40s. Scheduled services are undertaken to Berlin, Frankfurt, Shannon, Tel Aviv, Vienna, Warsaw, and Zurich. Charter flights are made to China, India, Cyprus, Turkey, Cyprus, and UAE.
The close cooperation maintained with Aeroflot Russian International Airlines (ARIA) begins to subside in 1994 as the new state airline starts to establish its own marketing approaches and operational strategies. Plans are made to launch flights to communities in Spain, Italy, and the U. K.
A cooperative pact is signed between Belavia and Aeroflot Russian International Airlines (ARIA) at the beginning of June 1995. It is designed to allow the establishment of common rates for air transport services and the use of tickets for transit flights acquired in either Russia or Belarus. Within a month, Aeroflot offices in Russia will act as Belavia agents, selling tickets on services of the new partner.
Flights continue in 1996-1998, during which years the fleet is reduced by one An-24. Scheduled destinations visited include Anapa, Berlin, Frankfurt, Moscow, Shannon, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich, and other CIS points; charter flights are also made to markets in China, Cyprus, India, Turkey, and the U. A.E.
Regularly scheduled, weekly Tu-154BM roundtrips commence on July 26, 1997, from Minsk to Beijing via Novosibirsk.
Also, the regional subsidiary Brest United Aviation Detachment is set up at Brest Airport to operate domestic and regional passenger services. Under the direction of Gennadi V. Borisevich, Brest flies 4 Yak 40s and 20 An-2s.
Another regional, Gomel Air Detachment, is set up at the city of that name to operate scheduled flights to Russia and charters elsewhere. It will later be renamed Gomelavia.
During the first quarter of 1999, a bilateral agreement is signed between the governments of Belarus and Egypt. Weekly Tu-154BM scheduled roundtrips between Minsk and Cairo begin on April 29.
On August 23, the carrier reports that its traffic has fallen by 39% in the first half year.
A comprehensive agreement is signed with Aeroflot Russian International Airlines (ARIA) on January 26, 2000. Under its terms, the two carriers will undertake return code-sharing passenger flights from Russia to Belorus and from Belorus to Siberia, the Mideast, and Southeast Asia via Moscow, as well as on Aeroflot cargo services to Belorussian cities. The two also plan to establish joint hubs at Moscow and Minsk,
Between January and August, enplanements of 150,000 are reported, including 87,000 on international routes. In early September, weekly scheduled roundtrips are initiated between Minsk and Tallin and plans are announced for a new route to Paris in early 2001.
World History
