Tomsk Air Company develops under Sibir's wing

Published: 11/29/1999

Sibir, the Tomsk regional administration and Tomsk state airline founded Tomsk Air Company, in November 1998. It now employs 80 people, in addition to the eight crews and 30 cabin staff operating as an affiliate of Sibir. Between May and November 1999, it handled 100,000 passengers, 665 tonnes of mail and cargo and operated nearly 450 flights, with a seat load factor for 9mo99 of 72.3% and a commercial load factor of 74.3% over the same period. Sibir started operating from Tomsk in May 1998, with a weekly flight Tomsk-Moscow-Tomsk-Novosibirsk. In August 1998, it leased three Tu-154Bs from Tomsk state airline and began daily flights from Tomsk to Moscow. In May 1999, it leased a Tu-154M, also from Tomsk state airline. In February 1999, Tomsk Air Company established its own ticket sales office, equipped with both the Russian and international reservation systems, used by Sibir. For Sibir, the affiliation has increased the airline"s sales in Tomsk, through travel agencies and by attracting Tomsk tourists for Sibir"s international flights. This September, Sibir"s Il-86 was authorised by the regional administatrion to land on the recently overhauled runway at Tomsk airport. As such, the airport joins Yakutsk, Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamcahtsky and Nizhnevartovsk in being able to handle the heavy aircraft.

Article ID: 1136