11/08/2019 16:36

Shortage of Flights to Bangkok and Dubai from Ekaterinburg

[IMG=18953-4614] This winter the situation with flights to the UAE and Thailand from Ekaterinburg is not clear as unexpectedly increased demand for the destinations stimulated the shortage of flights (news/27.01). We remind you that there are two flights per week to each country: The Urals Airlines flies to Dubai, while Uzbek Airlines and Transaero fly to Bangkok. On February 1st a BANKO correspondent found out the perspectives of flight traffic growth. According to local companies, the situation with flights to the UAE was resolved by substitution of one of the two Tu-154 by an Il-86. The situation is more difficult with flights to Thailand. Although Transaero has increased the number of flights the problem still exists. Experts believe, that in spring the flight schedule might be reconsidered in favor of extra aircraft. As for Uzbek Airlines they do not have spare aircraft available at the moment to launch additional flights to Bangkok. ‘Theoretically The Urals Airlines could launch their flights to Bangkok but the problem is that they do not owe Boeings. At the moment they have only Il-model aircraft that cannot compete with Boeings at long-distance flights’, explained Olga Svechkova, Vice-president of Ekaterinburg Company World Fund. According to Natalia Obozhina, General Director of Wings Company, a direct flight from Ekaterinburg to Bangkok by Il-86 is impossible. Therefore tickets for flight by Il-86 would cost 150 $ more and would sold after all others being less convenient. ‘At the moment we do not have aircraft for direct flights. Before we did not have the necessity to realize such flights. In 2006 we plan to extend our aircraft fleet with airbuses A-320, which will possibly lead to new programs preparation’, said Kiril Skuratov, Commercial Director of The Urals Airlines. Furthermore, Sibir Airlines could partly resolve the problem as they planed to fly from Ekaterinburg from February 1st. However, according to a Press Service representative of Sibir Airlines, Ilia Novokhatskyi, flight launch was postponed until March and that they planed only Ekaterinburg – Moscow flights. ‘At the moment we are negotiating flights to other destinations but the outcome is still to be seen’, stated Novokhatskyi.