11/08/2019 16:41

Who Could Fly?

[IMG=18802-4441] Not all of the new charter flight routes from Moscow planned before New Year period were actually launched. At the end of 2005 the organization of new charter flights was discussed by some leading players in the travel market. Experts had divided opinions regarding the prospects for charter flights to Rome, Sofia, Kenya, Varna. On the 13th of January, a ‘BANKO’ correspondent investigated the outcome of these programmes. A charter to Kenya (Moscow - Nairobi – Mombasa - Moscow), planned by the travel companies Chetvertaya Vlast and Neizvestnaya Zemlya for the period from December 29 to January 10 was launched. According to the consolidators of this programme, their expectations were met. Aleksey Kuznetsov, General Deputy Director in the Field of Special Programmes for Chetvertaya Vlast explained that: 'an Aeroflot Nord Tu-154 aircraft was 100% full'. He added: 'Morevoer, on arrival in Kenya we a had a meeting with representatives of The Kenya Travel Committee, at which the increase of such charter programmes were discussed’. Due to the increasing interest of VIP Russian tourists in Kenya as a destination, it is intended to launch a direct flight from Moscow several times a year. In contrast, the situation with a charter flight to Rome with the consolidator Neva was not such a success. The start of the programme was delayed and the situation is still not clear as Neva have so far refused to comment on the delay. They have specified only a revised approximate start time for the charter programme – the middle of March. Furthermore, charter flight from Moscow – Varna consolidated by Dan Morris was postponed for an uncertain period. Marina Belyaeva, General Director of Dan Morris, explained that demand had not been high enough. According to experts, the winter charter to Varna was fated to failure due to the high number of regular flights on the route. However, a charter flight to Bulgarian capital Sofia by Atlant Soyuz was launched successfully on the 30th of December, as planned by ICS Travel Group - and will continue until March 2006.