Phil6219
AVA Airlines A310 EP-RBD at Istanbul - 09th September 2024
AVA Airlines Airbus A310-324 EP-RBD is seen just after pushback at Istanbul Airport on the afternoon of Monday 09th September 2024. The aircraft was ready to operate flight AXV9211 to Tehran, Iran.
This was a very quick photo from my aircraft as we taxied past, taken from the small viewing window of my aircraft's door I was limited in angle and sadly had to make do with a rear 3/4 shot rather than one from the front but when it comes to these old girls living their golden years for Iranian carriers, you've just got to take what you can get ;)
Originally assigned the registration N826PA and the name "Clipper Golden West" the aircraft was ready to join Pan Am in the spring of 1991 but was not taken up. Instead the aircraft joined Ecuatoriana of Ecuador in September 1991 as HC-BRB, it was then placed with Uzbekistan Airways in 1993 first under the registration of F-OGQZ and later UK-31002. In December 2022 it officially "joined" Asia Sky Lines of Tajikistan as EY-706 but was immediately stored in Tehran until July 2023 when it was re-registered as EP-RBD with Iran Air. Since then it has had stints with Qeshm Airlines, Meraj Airlines and now AVA Airlines all three of which are Iranian based carriers.
I am probably the only cabin crewmember at my base that actually looks forward to doing an Istanbul as while they're not good flights the reward is a myriad of interesting aircraft to spot on the ground with airlines not generally seen in Europe including Russian, rare "Stan" airlines and notably Iranian carriers with the latter still using quite old metal.
© Phil Cribbin 2024
AVA Airlines A310 EP-RBD at Istanbul - 09th September 2024
AVA Airlines Airbus A310-324 EP-RBD is seen just after pushback at Istanbul Airport on the afternoon of Monday 09th September 2024. The aircraft was ready to operate flight AXV9211 to Tehran, Iran.
This was a very quick photo from my aircraft as we taxied past, taken from the small viewing window of my aircraft's door I was limited in angle and sadly had to make do with a rear 3/4 shot rather than one from the front but when it comes to these old girls living their golden years for Iranian carriers, you've just got to take what you can get ;)
Originally assigned the registration N826PA and the name "Clipper Golden West" the aircraft was ready to join Pan Am in the spring of 1991 but was not taken up. Instead the aircraft joined Ecuatoriana of Ecuador in September 1991 as HC-BRB, it was then placed with Uzbekistan Airways in 1993 first under the registration of F-OGQZ and later UK-31002. In December 2022 it officially "joined" Asia Sky Lines of Tajikistan as EY-706 but was immediately stored in Tehran until July 2023 when it was re-registered as EP-RBD with Iran Air. Since then it has had stints with Qeshm Airlines, Meraj Airlines and now AVA Airlines all three of which are Iranian based carriers.
I am probably the only cabin crewmember at my base that actually looks forward to doing an Istanbul as while they're not good flights the reward is a myriad of interesting aircraft to spot on the ground with airlines not generally seen in Europe including Russian, rare "Stan" airlines and notably Iranian carriers with the latter still using quite old metal.
© Phil Cribbin 2024