Vladivostok Avia to open Vladivostok-Hong Kong direct air service.

VLADIVOSTOK, September 9 (Itar-Tass) - Starting from mid-October
residents of the Primorsky Territory of Russia will be able to fly
directly from Vladivostok to Hong Kong and Singapore. The Vladivostok Avia
airline from October 21 opens direct flights between the two cities and
the capital of the Primorsky Territory.
Flights to Singapore and Hong Kong will be performed twice a week. The
air tickets to the new destinations are already on sale, the company's
public relations department told Itar-Tass on Friday.
At the moment there is no regular air service between Vladivostok,
Hong Kong and Singapore. Russian tourists and businessmen had to fly to
Seoul or Beijing and from there get to the desired city with many
transfers.
Also in October-November, the Primorsky Territory residents will be
able to fly to the Indonesian city of Denpasar on the Bali Island, to
Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City and the capital of Thailand Bangkok.
The air travel possibilities for residents of Sakhalin, Kamchatka and
the Khabarovsk Territory will also be broadened. Soon, with the onset of
cold weather, Khabarovsk residents will be able to travel for vacation to
Cam Ranh, Bangkok, Denpasar and Tashkent. The system of connecting flights
is introduced for residents of Sakhalin and Kamchatka that will allow them
to fly on holidays to countries of South-East Asia without the waste of
time via Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.
Vladivostok Avia (also Vladivostok Air) airline is based in
Vladivostok, Russia. As the largest carrier in the Russian Far East and
Siberia, Vladivostok Air operates scheduled domestic flights within Russia
and international flights to Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as charter
flights and a well-established helicopter service. The main hub of
operations is Vladivostok International Airport, with secondary hubs at
Moscow Vnukovo International Airport and Khabarovsk Novy International
Airport and a focus city in Yekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport.
Prior to late September 2008, only a few flights between the cities of
Vladivostok and Khabarovsk were available on Vladivostok Air, but when the
Russian government decided to close Dalavia, due to high debt levels,
Vladivostok Air soon announced the start of 7 additional domestic routes
and 4 new international routes from Khabarovsk.
In 2004 Vladivostok Air passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit,
becoming a full International Air Transport Association member leading to
recognition of Vladivostok Air as a safe and reliable airline.
On 15 February 2008 JSC Vladivostok Air completed a reorganisation,
and JSC Vladivostok International Airport was separated from Vladivostok
Air, with Vladivostok International Airport being included in the Russian
register of open joint stock companies. One of the most significant
achievements of 2008 was the successful accreditation for compliance with
IATA safety requirements (IOSA).
On 20 January 2009 Vladivostok Air celebrated its 15th anniversary as
an open joint stock company, developing from a regional carrier to the
largest company in the Russian Far East and East Siberia. The introduction
of more modern equipment has allowed the introduction of new domestic and
international flights, increasing passenger numbers to over 900,000
annually. June 2009 saw the introduction of the first long-haul Airbus
A330-300 service, connecting the two cities of Vladivostok and Moscow,
with more A320's and A330's expected to join the fleet between October
2009 and the summer of 2010. Orders for four Antonov An-148 with two
options were placed at the 2009 MAKS Airshow.
On 28 April 2009 Vladivostok Air received the Wings of Russia 2008
award in the category of "Airline of the Year - Passengers Choice."
Vladivostok Air also announced its earnings on July 15 showing that,
despite the severe economic downturn, passenger traffic has increased by
an incredible 36.6 percent, while passenger capacity has increased by 28.8
percent in the first six months of 2009, when compared to those months in
2008, with the load factor increasing by 9.5 percent.
On 17 July 2009 Vladivostok Air introduced its new online sales
system, with the new reservation system allowing purchases with all major
credit cards. In addition to the new sales system, passengers can now
choose from three economy fares and one business class fare including
"Promo", "Eco", "Eco +", and "Business". "Promo" is the cheapest fare
selection, with the bare minimum amenities, while the "Business" fare is
the most expensive, with access to all business class amenities.
On August 12, 2010 Vladivostok Air received an additional A320
aircraft, bringing the total amount in its fleet to seven. Additionally,
on 18 August an interline agreement was signed with United Airlines, a
major global airline. On 19-20 August, Vladivostok Air successfully passed
its second IOSA audit, further maintaining its IATA membership.
During MAKS Airshow 2009, Vladivostok Air signed a pre-contractual
agreement to buy four Antonov An-148, with options for two more. These
regional jets will carry between 68-85 seats and will eventually replace
the four aging Yak-40 aircraft. The aircraft are expected to be delivered
between 2012 and 2014. The average age of Vladivostok Air's A320s are 13.4
years, while the A330s are 15.4 years as of May 2010.
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