Airline continues to develop scheduled routes to China, with plans to expand operations from Irkutsk (313 words)

Published: 10/12/2001

On 9th October, Siberia Airlines (Sibir) opened a new scheduled international service from Irkutsk to Shenyang in China with 82 passengers on board the first flight. The company plans to fly the route twice a week using a two class layout Tu-154M with eight business class seats and 140 economy class seats. Baikal Airlines has operated this route since July 1991, reportedly with good load factors as the only other competitor on the route - China Northern Airlines - ceased operating in 1998. The flight to Shenyang adds to a number of other scheduled routes the carrier has established since its first charter services to China started in 1992, with services currently to Beijing, Urumqi and Tianjin from Novosibirsk. In 1995, the Ministry of Transportation appointed Sibir as the scheduled carrier under the bilateral agreement between Novosibirsk - Urumqi and in September 1998, the carrier opened routes to Beijing and Tianjin from Novosibirsk. In April 2001, Sibir signed an interline agreement and special pro-rate agreement with Air China. Sibir's operation out of Irkutsk is the result of the creation of its Eastern Siberia-affiliated company, formed from Sayany Airlines, acquired in December 2000. From Irkutsk, Sibir operates flights from Moscow, coordinated with flights from Blagoveshensk and Vladivostok. This summer, Sibir operated charter flights from Irkutsk to vacation destinations in Turkey via Omsk and in November 2001 plans to offer charter flights from Irkutsk to Utopao in Thailand, with a full international charter programme from Irkutsk for winter 2001/2002. On 6th October, Sibir also introduced the Tu-204 on the Novosibirsk-Seoul route, replacing a Tu-154M. This extends the current use of the airline's Tu-204 on routes from Novosibirsk to Moscow, Frankfurt, Hanover and Dubai and, in summer, on charter routes from Novosibirsk to Barcelona, Antalya, Larnaca, and Bourgas.

Article ID: 2819