Higher frequency of flights, but uncertain about volume

Published: 5/11/2000

Ural Airlines has announced its summer schedule due to start on 1st June along with developments of its fare packages and services. Within Russia and the CIS, the airline plans increased frequency of flights to a number of popular destinations including Sochi, Anapa and Mineral Waters. On the Sochi route the airline plans to use its Il-86s four times a week supplemented by an additional weekly Tu-154B flight. Interestingly when compared with the views of other airlines and despite its increased frequencies, the airline expects volume to be down on flights to Southern Russia over all in 2000, when compared with 1999, although it did not offer a reason for being pessimistic. Elsewhere the company plans to maintain its schedule and plans to open a once a week flight to Volgograd using a Tu-154B. Within the CIS the current schedule to Baku, Erevan and Tblisi will be retained. Internationally the airline's charter business will provide an increase number of flights to traditional international vacation destinations in Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Cyprus, Egypt, UAE, Israel and China, offering most of the destination either a weekly or biweekly frequency of flights. The airline will also add new destinations in 2000 at the request of travel agents, according to the airline, including Croatia, Tunis, Malta, Tokyo and Cuba. With the airline making its first charter flight to Australia carrying participants to the Sydney Olympic Games. For budget passengers, the airline has expanded the number of destinations where price deals can be had. It has also offered the deals to veterans, despite the government's large debts to the airline for non-payment of subsidies of $4.2m. For fliers under 25 the airline is offering a $74 return flight from Ekaterinburg to Moscow and St Petersburg. The airline also intends to start a frequent flier programme at some point in 2000. The airline will launch a code share route from Ekaterinburg to Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow with Transaero form the 15th May. In cargo the airline has announced the launch of an express parcel service up to 1kg from its office in the Ekaterinburg to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Baku, Yerevan, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Dubai, Prague.

Article ID: 1757