Vladivostok Avia submits plans to regulators to launch twice-weekly flights to Seattle and Anchorage next year
Vladivostok Avia plans to launch transpacific Tupolev Tu-204 operations to the USA next year, serving Seattle and Anchorage.
The Russian carrier intends to begin services at the beginning of April using the extended-range -300 variant of the Tu-204 twinjet, which it introduced to its fleet two years ago.
In a formal submission to US regulators, the airline says it will operate twice weekly from Vladivostok to Anchorage and onward to Seattle. One of these services will operate through Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the other will go via Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Although Vladivostok Avia will begin the services using Tu-204s configured with eight business-class and 134 economy-class seats, it says that it could eventually switch to Airbus A320s.
"In light of its recent modernisation efforts and fleet expansion, Vladivostok Avia is well positioned to establish its first scheduled service to North America," says the carrier, adding that it could also extend the network to include other points in Russia.
|
|---|
Vladivostok Avia will use its extended-range Tu-204-300s for the US flights, but could switch to Airbus A320s |
Vladivostok Avia has four Tu-204-300s - leased from Ilyushin Finance - and a single A320, the first in a batch of six that the carrier has agreed to take from International Lease Finance.
Vladivostok Avia's decision to open a US connection follows the postponement of a similar plan by Russian carrier Dalavia, a Tupolev Tu-214 operator based at Khabarovsk.
Dalavia, which is at the centre of a proposal by Aeroflot to create a consolidated Russian Far East carrier, had been prepared to serve Alaska after the suspension of operations by Magadan-based carrier Mavial, which had previously operated the flights.
Dalavia intended to fly the Khabarovsk-Petropavlovsk-Anchorage route, but earlier this year, citing economic circumstances, it opted to shelve the plan until summer 2008.
Source: Flight International
