VAK-ROSAT AIRLINE: Samara Airport, Samara, 443064, Russia; Phone 7 (8462) 227 380; Code VAK; Year Founded 1995. Vak-Rosat is established at Samara in 1995 to offer regional passenger charters. L. P. Gvozdovski is director general and he begins revenue flights with 1 each Tupolev Tu-154M and Yakovlev Yak-40.
Although it is uderstood that this carrier continues to operate in the period after the beginning of the August 1998 Russian currency crisis, no definite information has been located to that effect.
VALDEZ AIRLINES: United States (1979-1985). Valdez is founded by partners Jeffrey D. Haddock and Ronald A. Watson at Anchorage in late fall 1979 to provide third-level passenger and cargo services to destinations in south central Alaska. The carrier inaugurates revenue flights on January 1, 1980 to Valdez, the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaskan oil pipeline.
Operations continue apace in 1981 and with a fleet of 3 Piper PA-31350 Navajo Chieftains, the commuter now begins to offer replacement flights for Wien Air Alaska to Homer, Iliamna, Kenai, and Kodiak in October 1982.
During 1983, the Chieftains are replaced with a fleet of Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirantes. Enplanements for the latter year total 52,000.
Just after landing at Cordova on February 22, 1984, Wien Air Flight 463, a company EMB-110P1 with two crew and seven passengers runs off the runway, during which exit the Bandeirante’s landing gear collapses and the left propeller hits the ground. The pilot’s first flight in 21 days ends with this brake failure, but no injuries are reported.
The company is purchased by Liberty Air on September 1, but quickly goes bankrupt, operating its final service only three days later.
World History
