Licence applications granted

Published: 7/13/2000

It seems that some airlines are getting their licence applications through the FSVT with the announcement by Sibir that as of 3rd July, it has launched a direct scheduled flight from the Siberian city of Omsk to Moscow. Using a Tu-154, with what is described by Sibir as an improved business class, the flight will operate daily from Omsk, leaving at 8am and returning from Moscow at 11.30pm. The flight is timed to offer easy connection for Sibir's Vnukovo-Munich flight. The new flight can only put further pressure on the embattled local carrier Omskavia, already under pressure from competition for the major carriers on the Moscow route. Additionally Sibir have also initiated a regular Tu-154 service between Omsk and Frankfurt, which started on 9th July. The flight will operate every Friday and joins Sibir's four times a week service out of Omsk to Hanover and flights to Frankfurt. According to Vladisalav Filev, Sibir's General Director 'The opening of new services is part of Sibir's long-term strategy aimed at gradual expansion of the company's route network and services from Siberian cities'. During the first quarter of 2000, Sibir's passenger volumes continued to increase, growing by 6.2% compared to the same period in 1999, to 447.9 m passenger-kilometres. Cargo volumes also grew by 6.6% in the first quarter, reaching 46.8 m ton-kilometres. The growth rate is slightly slower than the 19.6% increase recorded by the airline in 1999, but growth was achieved against an overall fall in the market of 6% in 1999. According to Sibir, the state-owned ticketing agency, the Transport Clearing House, now rates the company as Russia's third largest domestic carrier by volumes of regular and charter passenger carried in the first quarter of 2000.

Article ID: 1932