Volga airline appears to be fairing considerably better than its regional competitors

Published: 10/6/1999

Narimanovo Airport, in Astrakhan in southern Russia, appears to be thriving, despite the current fuel crisis and the state of the general economy. According one of its directors, Victor Pilyugin, there are now 400 flights taking off from the airport, some 20% higher than in 1998, including two flights a week to Moscow, with a special incentive scheme and an increased baggage allowance. The popular vacation route to the Black Sea resort Astrakhan-Sochi has been reinstated, as has Orenburg-Baku, Azerbaijan. There are also flights to Yekaterinburg, Akau and Atyrau. An agreement with the Orenburg Oil Company has meant that the airport has suffered no flight cancellations due to recent fuel shortages. Future plans include the reconstruction of the runway (www.concise.org 22nd September 1999), the construction of a third passenger terminal, and the opening of new routes based around Astrakhan Airline's fleet of 5 Tu-134s, 7 An-24s and 2 Yak-42Ds. It would appear that Astrakhan Airlines, operator of both the airline and airport is fairing considerably better than other operators in the Volga region, who have reported dramatic cuts in flights and falls in passenger numbers (www.concise.org 5th July 1999).

Article ID: 948