AVIANOVA SET FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION
Russian low-cost carrier Avianova is set to launch its first flights outside of Russia, bringing low-cost travel from the country to major markets in Belarus and Ukraine. The budget carrier has applied for licences to operate four-times weekly between Moscow and Minsk and five-times weekly from Moscow to Simferopol and from Adler/Sochi to Kharkov. It has reportedly already received the green light from authorities to launch these routes. This summer Avianova will offer services from its Moscow Sheremetyevo base to 17 destinations with link from St Petersburg to Adler/Sochi and Arkhangelsk and between Surgut and Tyumen. It will also open a base at Krasnodar with the resumption of a connection to St Petersburg and a Surgut operation (from April 30) as well as departures to Ekaterinburg (from June 15) and Adler/Sochi (from June 17). These routes will be flown on a three-times weekly basis, with the exception of Adler/Sochi which will be served four times a week. According to its current flight schedules, the airline will offer 226 weekly flights this summer offering over 36,000 seats. This means it has already overtaken Sky Express, which launched operations two and a half years earlier, as the country’s largest low-cost carrier by capacity - when its latest expansion at Krasnodar is taken into account it will also be larger in terms of weekly flight frequency.
AEROFLOT AND AEROSVIT ANNOUNCE CODESHARE
Aeroflot Russian Airlines and Aerosvit Airlines have launched a codeshare arrangement on three routes between Russia and Ukraine. The two carriers will carry one another’s IATA codes on their flights between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Kiev Borispol; the Russian carrier’s Moscow Sheremetyevo – Simferopol service and Aerosvit’s Dnepropetrovsk – Moscow Sheremetyevo link. The largest O&D market between the two countries is the Moscow Sheremetyevo - Kiev Borispol route, which is operated twice daily by Aeroflot and up to four-times daily by Aerosvit. In the year ending December 2010, approximately 273,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route with Aerosvit accounting for 64 per cent of this traffic. Although the two airlines do not face any direct competition on the route S7 Airlines and Transaero Airlines also serve the city pair, but with flights to Moscow Domodedovo.
ARKIA ENTERS THE BUSY TEL AVIV – MOSCOW MARKET
Israeli carrier Arkia inaugurated a new service between Tel Aviv and Moscow on March 4, entering what is a busy market for travellers with competition from four other airlines. The carrier is offering a twice weekly link on Mondays and Fridays using an Embraer 195 but plans to upgrade capacity with a larger Boeing 757-300 from April 29. Approximately 460,000 O&D passengers travelled between the two cities in 2010, with El Al holding a 42 per cent share of this traffic. The Israeli national carrier and Transaero Airlines each offer up to three flights per day on the route, while Israir Airlines and Aeroflot Russian Airlines have four and five weekly rotations, respectively.
AIR ARABIA BOOSTS SHARJAH – DOHA TO DOUBLE DAILY
United Arab Emirates (UAE) low-cost carrier Air Arabia is to increase frequencies on its Sharjah-Doha route from ten weekly rotations to 14, offering double daily schedule between the two cities from March 27. The budget carrier is the only operator on the route, although Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and fellow budget carrier flyDubai offer multiple daily frequencies from Dubai. Air Arabia carried around 42,000 O&D passengers on the route in 2010, with average fares of $30-50 one-way; significantly below those being offered by Emirates ($284-$287), Qatar Airways ($262-$264) and even flyDubai ($112) from Dubai.
ROSSIYA RESUMES LINKS TO LONDON
Rossiya Airlines has resumed its link from St Petersburg to London this summer, using Gatwick Airport as its gateway to the UK capital. The carrier launched a twice weekly service on March 6 but will increase frequencies to three-times a week from March 27, four from April 25 and five from May 28. There are only limited flights between London and St Petersburg with British Airways offering the only direct competition between the two cities with a daily schedule from Heathrow. With a base at Pulvoko International Airport in Russia’ second largest city, Rossiya will be able to offer onward connections within the country and destinations across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which will enable it to secure a strong share of the 97,000 passenger O&D market, as well as stimulating additional demand.
AEROFLOT TO LAUNCH MOSCOW - NIZHNY NOVGOROD WITH SUPERJETS
Aeroflot Russian Airlines will launch twice-daily flights between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Nizhny Novgorod from June 1 using its newly delivered Sukhoi Superjet SSJ-100-95s. The flag carrier is due to receive its first aircraft in May and will initially use the type on flights to Kazan from May 1, with Nizhny Novgorod and St Petersburg following in June, and then Omsk from August 1. The service to Omsk will actually be an additional rotation meaning Aeroflot will now serve the route three times daily. There are no current non-stop links between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Nizhny Novgorod, although S7 Airlines will offer a six-times weekly service from Domodedovo Airport during the Northern Summer schedules.
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