RusLine

RusLine is a Russian regional airline whose network has primarily served domestic routes linking regional cities with larger Russian aviation hubs, while also including holiday charter services. The airline was established in 1999 under the name Aerotex Airlines and was initially based at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport. Its early operations included Soviet-built aircraft, reflecting the aircraft mix commonly found among Russian regional carriers during the period. The introduction of Western-built regional aircraft became an important step in the company’s development: in February 2008, RusLine introduced a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ100, with additional second-hand aircraft of the same general family added over subsequent years. A significant expansion of the airline’s regional position followed its acquisition of the assets and brand of the bankrupt Air Volga on 1 April 2010. The transaction included six Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft and Air Volga’s operating base at Volgograd International Airport. This gave RusLine additional aircraft, infrastructure, and access to a regional market outside Moscow. The company subsequently broadened its fleet for larger-demand and charter activity. In April 2012, it received two Airbus A319 aircraft formerly operated by easyJet, providing greater capacity than its regional jet fleet and supporting the airline’s charter ambitions. The brand adopted the name RusLine in March 2013. The renaming coincided with a strategic and operational transition, including a move from Sheremetyevo to Moscow Vnukovo International Airport shortly afterward. Vnukovo became an important base for the airline’s scheduled regional network and supported connections between Moscow and destinations across Russia. RusLine’s principal business is passenger air transport. Its service proposition is based on regional connectivity rather than on the scale of a major full-service international carrier. Scheduled flights have historically connected Russian cities that may have limited direct access to the country’s largest aviation centres, while charter operations have served leisure and holiday demand. The airline has operated several aircraft types over its history, including Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 regional jets, Airbus A319 aircraft, and earlier Soviet-designed aircraft. The airline’s operations have also been affected by wider regulatory and geopolitical conditions. As of June 2025, RusLine was among Russian airlines prohibited from flying into the European Union under the EU restrictions applying to Russian carriers. This limits the brand’s access to EU markets but does not by itself indicate that the airline has ceased operating. Public reference material identifies RusLine as an active Russian regional carrier, although detailed current information about its ownership, management, fleet deployment, and route schedule is not established in the supplied sources.

RusLine began operations in 1999 as Aerotex Airlines, initially using Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow as its base. The carrier emerged in the Russian regional aviation market at a time when domestic airlines were reorganizing their fleets and route structures after the fragmentation of the Soviet aviation system. Its early fleet included ageing Soviet-designed aircraft, a pattern that was gradually replaced by the adoption of Western-built regional aircraft. The airline introduced its first Western airliner, a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ100, in February 2008. The aircraft was acquired second-hand, and further aircraft from the same regional-jet family were added in the following years. The change supported a more standardized regional-aviation model and gave the airline an aircraft better suited to lower-density routes than larger narrow-body jets. On 1 April 2010, RusLine acquired the assets and brand name of the bankrupt Air Volga. The transaction included six Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft and Air Volga’s base at Volgograd International Airport. This was a material expansion of RusLine’s operating resources and regional footprint, giving it an additional base and a larger presence in the Russian domestic market. The airline also pursued higher-capacity operations. In April 2012, RusLine took delivery of two Airbus A319 aircraft formerly owned by easyJet. These aircraft were intended in part to address growing demand for charter flights and represented a move beyond the capacity of the carrier’s regional jet fleet. In March 2013, the company changed its name to RusLine. The rebranding was accompanied by a move from Sheremetyevo International Airport to Vnukovo International Airport shortly afterward. Under the RusLine name, the airline continued to focus on scheduled domestic regional flights while maintaining holiday charter activity. Its historical fleet has included both Western regional and narrow-body aircraft as well as Soviet-built types operated earlier in its development. On 20 June 2011, a Tu-134 operated on a RusLine-related service crashed while approaching Petrozavodsk Airport. The aircraft, registered RA-65691, had been leased by RusLine from RusAir and was flying from Moscow-Domodedovo. In poor visibility, the aircraft descended too rapidly, struck trees, and then impacted a highway. Forty-seven people died and five people survived. The event is a significant safety incident associated with the airline’s operating history, although the supplied reference does not identify it as a corporate scandal. By June 2025, RusLine remained identified as a Russian regional airline, but it was subject to the European Union prohibition on flights by Russian airlines. The restriction forms part of the wider regulatory environment affecting Russian aviation and limits the airline’s ability to serve EU destinations. The supplied reference material does not establish a current ownership structure, named management team, detailed route list, or complete current fleet beyond identifying the airline’s continuing regional and charter orientation.

• 2025

  EU flight restriction noted

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  As of June 2025, RusLine was prohibited from flying into the European Union under restrictions covering Russian airlines.

• 2013

  Aerotex renamed RusLine

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  The company adopted the RusLine name and subsequently moved its Moscow operations from Sheremetyevo to Vnukovo International Airport.

• 2012

  Airbus A319 aircraft added

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  Two Airbus A319 aircraft formerly operated by easyJet were delivered to support increased demand, particularly for charter flights.

• 2011

  Flight 243 crash

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  A Tu-134 leased by RusLine from RusAir crashed near Petrozavodsk during approach, killing 47 people; five people survived.

• 2010

  Air Volga assets acquired

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  RusLine acquired Air Volga’s assets and brand, including six Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft and the Volgograd International Airport base.

• 2008

  First Western-built airliner introduced

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  A 50-seat Bombardier CRJ100 became the airline’s first Western-built airliner, beginning the expansion of its regional-jet fleet.

• 1999

  Aerotex Airlines founded

  [1]RusLineen.wikipedia.org

  The airline was established as Aerotex Airlines and initially based its operations at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.

A Russian regional airline focused on connecting domestic cities and supporting selected charter markets, with a historically mixed fleet ranging from regional jets to Airbus narrow-body aircraft.

• Passenger air transport · 1999

  Scheduled regional passenger flights

  RusLine’s core business is scheduled passenger service on regional routes, principally within Russia. The airline has historically used smaller regional aircraft to connect cities and to provide links through Moscow and other operating bases. Its network model is oriented toward domestic connectivity rather than the broad intercontinental coverage associated with Russia’s largest airlines.

• Charter air transport

  Holiday charter flights

  The airline also operates or has operated holiday and leisure charter services. The addition of Airbus A319 aircraft in 2012 was specifically associated with addressing increased charter demand, giving RusLine access to more seats than its Bombardier regional jets could provide.

• Regional aircraft operations · 2008

  Bombardier CRJ regional services

  Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 aircraft formed an important part of RusLine’s historical regional fleet. The type was suited to lower-volume routes and represented the airline’s transition from ageing Soviet-built aircraft toward Western regional jets.

• Narrow-body aircraft operations · 2012

  Airbus A319 services

  Two Airbus A319 aircraft formerly associated with easyJet entered RusLine’s fleet in 2012. Their larger capacity supported charter demand and complemented the airline’s smaller regional aircraft.

• 2013

  Corporate renaming and Moscow base changeStrategy

  Background

  The airline was repositioning its identity and operating structure after years of fleet development and the Air Volga asset acquisition.

  Action taken

  Aerotex Airlines was renamed RusLine, followed shortly afterward by a move from Sheremetyevo International Airport to Vnukovo International Airport.

  Aftermath

  The RusLine brand became the airline’s public identity, with Vnukovo serving as its principal Moscow operating base in the supplied historical account.

  Source

• 2012

  Addition of Airbus A319 aircraftProduct launch

  Background

  The airline sought to address growing demand for charter flights and needed aircraft with greater capacity than its regional jets.

  Action taken

  RusLine took delivery of two Airbus A319 aircraft formerly owned by easyJet.

  Aftermath

  The aircraft broadened the airline’s capacity range and supported its charter-oriented activities.

  Source

• 2010

  Acquisition of Air Volga assets and brandM&A

  Background

  Air Volga had entered bankruptcy, creating an opportunity to acquire aircraft, a regional base, and the Air Volga brand.

  Action taken

  RusLine acquired the Air Volga assets and brand, including six Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft and the Volgograd International Airport base.

  Aftermath

  The transaction expanded RusLine’s aircraft resources and regional operating footprint.

  Source

1. 1RusLineen.wikipedia.org