Polet Airlines (Priv)
Russia · Active
Airline Identity
History
Polet Airlines was a Russian carrier based in Voronezh with roots going back to 1988, which built a niche as one of only two commercial operators in the world flying the giant Antonov An-124 Ruslan freighter, alongside passenger and agricultural aviation services. It expanded into aeromedical and aerial-photography work in the 2000s and ran scheduled passenger flights from a hub in Voronezh in addition to its heavy-cargo operations centered on Ulyanovsk. The airline became entangled in a costly legal dispute with businessman Alexander Lebedev over unpaid An-124 lease payments, reportedly totalling around US$8 million, which contributed heavily to its financial collapse.
Current Operations
Polet Airlines no longer flies: it suspended all operations on 24 November 2014 and was placed into court-supervised administration in Moscow days later amid unpayable debts. Russian aviation authorities formally cancelled its air operator's certificate in April 2015, and the carrier's exit left Volga-Dnepr/Antonov Airlines as essentially the sole remaining operator of the An-124 in commercial service.
Last verified 2026-09-03· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.