Nordwind Airlines
Nordwind Airlines, LLC () is a Russian leisure airline. The company is headquartered in Moscow, and its hub is at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Nordwind Airlines primarily operates service between airports in Russia and holiday destinations around the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. History. Nordwind Airlines was founded in August 2008 by the Russian and Turkish branches of tour operator Pegas Touristik and initially operated three Boeing 757-200s. The number of passengers transported was as follows: On April 29, 2013, two surface-to-air missiles were fired by unknown forces in Syria at a Nordwind Airlines jet flying  from Sharm El Sheikh to Kazan. The pilots took evasive action and the plane continued onto Kazan undamaged. In 2017, the airline acquired two used A330s. The "Wall Street Journal" reported that Nordwind transported approximately 7.4 tons of gold with a market value over $300 million from Venezuela to a refinery near the airport in Entebbe, Uganda. These March 2019 shipments allegedly expose a global underground economy the United States government suspects helps Nicolás Maduro stay in power in Venezuela. Destinations. Nordwind serves 98 destinations in 28 countries including nine countries and 23 cities in Europe, eight countries and  12 cities in the Middle East and Africa, four countries and four cities in South America, and six countries and 14 cities in Asia. Fleet. As of April 2020, Nordwind Airlines fleet comprises the following aircraft: The fleet previously included the following aircraft: