A press-release posted at the airlines website says the change of name is connected with the definition of the role the affiliated Aeroflot companies should have.
Aeroflot said shortly after the fatal Aeroflot-Nord Boeing 737 crash near Perm in September last year that its subsidiaries should not fly with the Aeroflot brand in their names.
BarentsObserver reported earlier that the image of Aeroflot-Nord got a serious blow when alcohol was found in the blood of one of the pilots in the crashed aircraft where all 88 people onboard died.
Also, the company’s international flight between Russia and Norway got a bad reputation in recent years. Two years ago a flight attendant onboard Aeroflot Nord’s flight from Murmansk to Tromsø was arrested by Norwegian police shortly after landing. She was nearby too drunk to stand and was reported to the police because she spoiled coffee on the passengers. Blood test taken shortly after proved large concentrations of alcohol.
In mid-July this year was held back in the Norwegian Tromsø Airport, reportedly because the company was banned from operating over the European air space. That, however, was rebuffed by Aeroflot-Nord Press Secretary Anton Popov, who said to BarentsObserver that the aircraft was held back because of a misunderstanding.
Also this summer, Russian aviation authorities imposed restrictions in the flight operations of Aeroflot-Nord. Insufficient security and bad finances were the reasons.
In today’s press-release Aeroflot-Nord says the change of name will not lower the requirement Aeroflot require from the regional company to quality of service, level of service and safety of flights. Aeroflot also says they intend to develop the company by strengthening its regional possibilities.
In 2008 Aeroflot-Nord had 13 percent of Russia’s domestic volume of passengers. The company operate both a fleet of older An-24 propeller and a fleet of Boeing 737.
From 1991 till 2004 the airliner was named Arkhangelsk airlines.
