BAIKAL AIR COMPANY (BAIKAL AVIAKOMPANIYA): Russia (1993-1996). Baikal Air Company, often known as Baikal Airlines, is founded at Irkutsk in 1993 as a sister airline to the former Aeroflot Soviet Airlines directorate Baikal Avia (Baikal Airlines) Gennady P. Guchek is general manager and Soviet-made aircraft are leased, as required, from Baikal Avia. Scheduled passenger and charter cargo services are inaugurated and continued.
The fleet situation is completely reversed in 1994 as Baikal Avia becomes the smaller carrier. The Baikal Air Company fleet grows to include 30 Tu-154B/Ms, 40 Antonov An-24/26s, 20 Yakovlev Yak-40s, and 20 Ilyushin Il-76TDs. Scheduled and charter passenger and cargo services continue and enplanements reach 875,292. Flights continue in 1995, but the concern fails and its assets and Baikal Airlines marketing title are taken over by Baikal Avia in 1996.
BAIKAL AVIA (BAIKAL AIRLINES): Russia (1992-2000). This former Aeroflot Soviet Airlines directorate is reformed at its Irkutsk base in 1992, but otherwise continues its regional and trunk services as before. V. F. Sokolnikov is general manager. Enplanements for the year total 2,484,076.
In cooperation with its new sister carrier Baikal Air Company, Baikal Avia in 1993 begins to offer both passenger charters and scheduled passenger and cargo services to Europe, China, and Africa, in addition to frequencies about Russia.
Still, passenger boardings decline 40% to 1,774,340 while freight is off an equal 40% to 418.3 million FTKs.
Just after takeoff from Irkutsk on a January 3, 1994 service to Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, a Tu-154M with 9 crew and 116 passengers, suffers problems with its No. 2 engine and is directed to returned to its point of origin. A fuel-fed fire now erupts in the area of the No. 2 engine, damaging hydraulic lines and control surfaces; the jetliner crashes among farm buildings near the village of Mamony, 7 mi. S of the runway. All aboard the Tupolev are killed, along with one person on the ground. As the jetliner still wears its Aeroflot livery, many press accounts identify the state carrier as the victim.
The fleet situation vis-a-vis its sister company is now reversed, with Baikal Air Company operating the lion’s share of aircraft out of Irkutsk. Baikal Avia operates only 10 Tu-154Bs, 9 Tu-154Ms, and 9 Il-76TDs. A Boeing 757-2Q8 is chartered from International Lease Finance Corporation during the first quarter; it will become the first new Boeing aircraft to be operated by a Russian carrier east of the Ural Mountains.
Delivered at the end of June, the American-made jetliner undertakes regularly scheduled regional service in early July, initially between Irkutsk and Moscow. Later, the aircraft is placed on routes to Moscow, Pakistan, and India.
Passenger boardings, nevertheless, decline by 19.3% on the year to
1,432,000.
Traffic results are mixed in 1995. Customer bookings fall another 14% to 767,800, but cargo rises 2.1% to 29.3 million FTKs.
When Baikal Air Company goes out of business in 1996, Baikal Avia takes over its assets and assumes its Baikal Airlines marketing title. The move does not help very much as enplanements drop to 599,490.
Flights continue in 1997. While landing at Verkhneviluisk, Russia, on April 13, an An-12V, with five crew and nine passengers, bounces twice heavily and overruns the runway, where its nose and right main landing gear collapse. Although the aircraft is badly damaged, there are no fatalities.
Customer bookings for the year slide another 9.8% to 505,000.
Service continues without fanfare into early 1998. In April, as part of a three-year social and economic pact between the Irkutsk and Chita regions, it is agreed that Baikal Airlines and Chita Avia will be merged. The plan must be shelved in September when Baikal, largely as a result of the Russian currency situation, is forced to declare bankruptcy.
The company soldiers on into 1999 and unsuccessfully attempts to fly its way toward the light of fiscal viability.
It is revealed on August 11 that company executives have allegedly conducted an unauthorized sale of three aircraft in an effort to raise funds. A great dispute erupts between the directors and the current owners of the planes; the feud forces the state to be drawn into the matter on September 22.
The company’s board of directors, on November 16, vote to accept external management.
In a strange twist and despite its pressing financial problems, Baikal settles a ticketing dispute on November 23 for a lower figure than it had been awarded by a court.
Unfortunately, a boost in fuel prices prevents Baikal from achieving success and, on February 22, 2000, it is placed into administration. On June 2, it is once again declared bankrupt.
BAJAAIRLINES: United States (1972-1976). Initially set up at Long Beach, California, to fly charters into Baja California, Mexico, under the name Club Baja Airlines, this company assumes a new corporate identity on January 31, 1975, announcing its intention to inaugurate scheduled passenger services.
Employing the previous Beech 18 and Cessna 402 fleet, Baja launches frequencies on May 2, maintaining them until the company goes out of business in late 1976.
BAJA CORTEZ AIRLINES: United States (1977-1980). BCA is created at Los Angeles International Airport late in 1977 to provide de Hav-illand DH 104 Dove scheduled passenger and cargo to points in Baja California, Mexico.
Operations continue apace until mid-1980.
World History
