Reception at Russian Embassy in Dublin for startup (232 words)

Published: 12/17/2001

It appears that a reception at the Russian Embassy in Dublin on the evening of the 20th December 2001 will mark the official launch of the Aeroflot affiliated Shannon based Skynet Airlines. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the airline will be launched some time around April of next year and its inaugural routes will be with Aeroflot on the basis of code sharing according to sources within the airline. Moscow-Warsaw-Dublin and Moscow-Geneva-Dublin are being mentioned as SkyNet"s first scheduled routes, operated initially by two leased Boeing 737s, but with plans for 20 737s by 2005. The choice of routes, if they turn out to be the routes, is interesting. The loss of the Moscow – Dublin route will be of no loss to the flag carrier and will preserve a link The route is currently served by a Tu-134 that will be unable to service the route after April 2002 due to noise and emission standards, one suspects prompting the airline"s April start of operations, as Aeroflot does not currently have any aircraft that could viably replace the Tu-134 on the route. The Swiss route, a reportedly relatively active business for both Aeroflot and Swissair,the latter now operating out of Domodedovo Airport, is an interesting choice. Sources suggest that the new airline will fly earlier flights than the current Aeroflot flights. Times that one assumes will compete with those early slots that Swissair was reported to be seeking at Domodedovo and was deprived of at Sheremetyevo.

Article ID: 2960