EI-DUA third Kras Air B757 on hand back at Shannon

A third B757 operated by Russian airline Kras Air arrived in Shannon on lessor return last Thursday. The aircraft in question is EI-DUA, msn 26247 which was built in 1999. The aircraft was originally delivered to Iberia on April 30 1999 as EC-GZY. Subsequently it became PP-VTQ with Varig Brazil before becoming N241LF with leasing company ILFC. In December 2006 the aircraft became Irish for it's lease to Kras Air.

Kras Air or Krasnoyarsk Airlines to give it it's full name goes back to 1934 when Yenisey Air was established by the Chief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route. It was privatised in 1993 with the Russian state maintaining a 51% shareholding. In private hands the airline was managed by Alexander and Boris Abramovich who were instrumental in establishing the first Russian airline alliance in the shape of AirUnion which comprised a total of 5 operators including Kras Air and Domodedovo Airlines. Unfortunately during the summer of 2008 KrasAir became one of the earliest casualties of spiralling fuel prices. A pilots strike in October became the straw that broke the camels back with Kras Air finally ceasing operations on November 1 2008.

Pictured above EI-DUA in Air Union colours sits on the taxiway at Shannon.

Posted 090411