Starting from December 18th a low-cost airline Air Berlin will operate flights from St. Petersburg to Germany on Mondays and Fridays. According to the web site of the airline, a return flight will cost around 200 Euros if the stay in the country is minimum a week.
St. Petersburg travel market expressed enthusiasm towards the launch of new flights. Ekaterina Stakhiryak, Deputy of General Director of Solvex – tourney, commented: ‘at the moment flights to Germany are in high demand. Many people travel on business as many international fairs are held in Germany. Therefore, if Air Berlin joins German Wings and Pulkovo Airlines on the destination it will not provoke excess of flights’. Furthermore, Vadim Lezhnin, Director of Riviera, stated: ‘Lack of extra services, meals, for example, will not prevent potential clients from flying by a low-cost airline. Lower rates – about 100 Euros less – will not only attract new passengers but will also become more popular amongst regulars. Both of them are good tendencies for the market. Competition with Air Berlin will engender changes within the flight policy of other airlines on the route – they might revise their tariffs and contract terms’.
According to trveal companies in St. Petersburg, Pulkovo Airlines, for example, still follow the old habit not providing discounts to travel groups.
Simultaneously, the Press Service of Pulkovo Airlines withheld commenting on the new player initiative. They said no analysis has been made yet regarding how the new player will affect their positions.
