Aeroflot launches new routes, increases frequencies for summer timetable

The airline is to introduce six new routes from its Sheremetyevo airport base: five international and one domestic (ATO.ru)

In the IATA summer scheduling season, which began on 25 March, Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot is to fly to 146 destinations in 52 countries, including domestic flights. Six new routes from Moscow are being introduced to Cairo, Burgas, Naples, Verona, Kyzylorda and Saransk.

Aeroflot’s extended route network will cover 52 routes within Russia, 16 destinations in seven other CIS countries, and 78 other international destinations (55 routes to Europe, 13 to Asia, five to America, four to the Middle East, and one to Africa).

The latest news regarding international flights is the resumption of regular services to Egypt. Russia’s national carrier is to resume flights from Moscow to Cairo from 11 April, following a more than two-year ban on air services between the two countries.

Aeroflot is also to further boost its presence on the Italian market, an ever-popular selection of destinations for Russian travelers. Two new daily flights will be launched from 1 July offering Moscow-Verona and Moscow-Naples services. In addition, frequencies of flights between Moscow and Bologna will be increased from 14 to 21 per week.

Aeroflot’s network is to further expand to include one additional European destination: from July 2, daily flights will begin from Moscow to Burgas, a Bulgarian holiday resort airport.

Expanding its presence in Kazakhstan, Aeroflot is to launch four weekly services between the Russian capital and Kyzylorda, a major Kazakh centre of oil and gas production. With the opening of this new route, the carrier’s network will cover nine destinations across Kazakhstan. Additionally, the frequency of flights to other current destinations will increase: from Moscow to Astana (from nine to 12 per week) and to Aktobe (from four to seven weekly flights).

One of the challenges of the upcoming season is the provision of air transportation for football fans attending the finals of the FIFA World Cup being held in Russia. With the launch of twice-daily flights to Saransk, Aeroflot has now covered all the cities hosting the matches.

Aeroflot’s summer schedule will also see a significant increase in the frequencies of flights across a number of routes. Services from Moscow to the following destinations will increase: Kaliningrad (from 28 to 42 per week), Kazan (47 to 49), Nizhny Novgorod (35 to 42), Samara (42 to 49), Krasnoyarsk (21 to 28), Murmansk (21 to 28), Novosibirsk (21 to 28), Novy Urengoy (seven to 13), Perm (37 to 42), Saratov (14 to 21), Syktyvkar (14 to 21), Ufa (35 to 42), and Khanty-Mansiysk (seven to 14).

In line with seasonal demand, the airline is also to increase the frequencies of flights to international resorts: Antalya (from seven to 21 flights per week), Athens (14 to 21), and Barcelona (23 to 29).

Compared to the 2017-18 winter season, Aeroflot is to fly more frequently from Moscow to a string of capital cities across Europe: Athens (from 14 to 21 flights per week), Budapest (21 to 28), Bucharest (seven to 14), Vilnius (14 to 21), Madrid (14 to 21), Prague (35 to 42), and Tallinn (14 to 21).

At the same time, Aeroflot’s route network will be complemented by the extensive geographic span of its subsidiary air carriers. Rossiya Airlines is planning to operate flights from St. Petersburg to more than 40 domestic and foreign destinations, with the highlight of the upcoming season being a daily scheduled flight from Russia’s northern capital to London’s Gatwick airport.

Rossiya’s network also includes more than two dozen routes from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport to destinations in Russia’s Far East. An extensive programme of flights from Simferopol will see flights to 12 destinations in Russia.

Aeroflot’s regional sister carrier Aurora Airlines will also provide passengers with ample opportunities for travel in Russia’s Far East, offering flights from Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, as well as within the region.

At the same time, fast-growing low-cost carrier Pobeda Airlines will continue to develop its own flight network spanning 61 destinations within Russia and abroad.

In total, Aeroflot Group plans to operate regular flights to 305 destinations in 53 countries throughout the summer season of 2018. Aeroflot, which is based at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and operates a fleet of 234 aircraft, remains Russia’s flagship carrier and is a member of the global airline alliance SkyTeam. In 2017, it carried 32.8 million passengers (or 50.1 million, if Aeroflot Group’s other subsidiaries are included).