Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot is gearing up for the resumption of international flights with the airline to restore several destinations in the region. The carrier has scheduled services from Moscow to Belgrade, Ljubljana, Tivat and Split. Although the airline has been maintaining two weekly flights to the Serbian capital over the past weeks, starting August 1 it plans to run two daily services. On the same date, it will reinstate a daily operation to Ljubljana, Tivat and Split. Services to Zagreb have not been scheduled at this point. The resumption of flights is based on the principle of reciprocity. As a result, Air Serbia plans to resume operations to Moscow, St Petersburg and Krasnodar during the first week of August, while Montenegro Airlines has also indicated August for the resumption of its flights to Russia.
Russia grounded most international flights on March 27, with foreign citizens being unable to enter the country since. However, as of yesterday, those arriving in Russia will need to present English or Russian-language proof that they have tested negative for the coronavirus in the past 72 hours to be allowed entry. Like Russian citizens returning home, foreigners without a test may take one in Russia within 72 hours of arrival. If the test comes back positive, visitors will be required to self-isolate for fourteen days.
Aeroflot has announced a major strategic overhaul, which may leave some its routes in the region in limbo. Under the plan, the Russian carrier plans to focus on long haul premium routes instead. It’s low cost subsidiary Pobeda will take over its entire fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft, while its other subsidiary, Rossiya Airlines, will take over Aeroflot’s fleet of Sukhoi Superjets and its order of Irkut MC21s. Eventually, Aeroflot will operate only Airbus A320s, A321s, A330s, A350s, and Boeing 777 aircraft.
Does that mean they won't be returning to Zagreb??
ReplyDeleteSeems that way.
Deletemaybe Pobeda tskes over.
DeleteThere were some rumors for a while the route may be cut.
DeleteI really hope not since Croatia Airlines does not fly to Moscow.
DeleteTwo weekly on Pobeda could wok. Don't forget they sent the SSJ to ZAG
DeleteAfter losing FRA with LH it would be bad to lose totally SVO from ZAG.
DeleteConnectivity problem
It just says it hasn't been scheduled yet. It doesn't mean it's cancelled.
DeleteThere are not rumors like this. You make it up.
DeleteYet there are no flights to Zagreb scheduled...
DeleteThey decreased capacity to ZAG when they started flying to Ljubljana.
DeleteIt was quite a drop from A320 to SSJ. LJU on the other hand went from SSJ to double daily A320.
DeleteWhat are you talking about? ZAG didnt lose LH, just it did not start services now and it will be back next year. If not that they will force OU to operate all 5 daily flights.
DeleteLet's see what happens in the end. I'm not holding my breath, LH is in really bad shape.
DeleteAnon 11:11 Shhht, let some people here comfort their pain with something at least.
DeleteMy pain for what? For one of the worst carriers in the Europe losing market in Exyu and beyond. Just compare how much airlines returned in BEG or SPU and LH is still flying 3 pw to both cities. Only good thing for them here is that they have 100% of control in Croatia Airlines so they dont need so much flights to Croatia because these troglodytes from OU will always feed their network.
DeleteWith AF and KL going wild in ZAG LH Group's future is at stake, they need to be really careful.
DeleteI wouldnt say that they are "going wild" but they are really nice expanding and making LH less important in terms of connectivity to the world not only in Zagreb but and in Belgrade, Split, Ljubljana and Dubrovnik. They are really becoming more serrious competitor in this region for LH. It would be nice to see AF in Pula, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Tivat, Pristina, Skopje and KL in Ljubljana, Belgrade, Dubrovnik...
DeleteGoing 11 weekly in ZAG-CDG at the height of Corona is a big deal. They are attacking LH Group on their strongest market in ex YU
DeleteGood to have them back
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised by the amount of frequencies they plan to resume.
ReplyDeleteThey've been operating fights to BEG often with tge A330 lately.
DeleteWhat's the difference compared to prepandemic frequencies?
ReplyDeleteBEG from 3 to 2 daily, LJU frpm 2 to 1 daily. Not sure about SPU and TIV.
DeleteSecond daily to Ljubljana was supposed to start this summer season.
DeleteAnd to think JP flew to SVO with the CRJ a few times per week.
DeleteThe flight was daily and quite often they had to send two CRJs or a CRJ and an A319 together, back to back, as the demand was high.
DeleteWas Aeroflot flying to LJU before Adria's bankruptcy or it started operations after it went in bankruptcy?
DeleteIt started a few months before it went bankrupt.
Delete"Not sure about SPU and TIV." - Im not sure about TIV, but Split was always daily with Aeroflots A321 snd operations were always starting on 1st of July.
DeleteI remember JP was still flying to SVO when SU launched flights. I think they tried to compete by having free luggage and onboard service. Naturally they lasted a very short time.
DeleteHope SU's new strategy works out.
ReplyDeleteI hope that we will se more Pobeda flights to exyu. Like from Moscow to TGD, SKP, SJJ, DBV, ZAD, RJK, PUY...
DeleteGood news.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they don't fly to Podgorica.
ReplyDeleteI really hope they come back to ZAG.
ReplyDeleteThey are a great airline. Nice to have them back.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt's surprising how poorly Russia is connected with some ex-Yu markets. No flights to Bosnia at all?
ReplyDeleteI think there were a few attempt to establish flights from Sarajevo but they all failed unfortunately.
DeleteNo flights to Skopje either. Or Ohrid.
DeleteThey codeshare with JU to many destinations in the balkans (SJJ, SKP, TIA, SKG etc) so they are not poorly connected.
DeleteThey are poorly connected because there are no many direct flights to Russia which is actually one of the largest markets in Europe.
DeleteIt might be a huge market but don't forget that it's not evenly distributed. Look at the weak demand from places like Bucharest.
DeleteGood to see
ReplyDeleteWelcome back :)
ReplyDeleteIt's impressive that they plan to restore so many frequencies.
ReplyDeleteIt's still significantly lower than planned.
DeleteBut much more compared to other airlines like LH.
DeleteMaybe it could be a chance for OU to launch Moscow.
ReplyDeleteThey thought about it a few times but always gave up on the idea.
DeleteIt's questionable whether they will resume the seasonal LED flights, let alone launch Moscow.
DeleteI think OU could make Moscow work seasonally. Azur Air applied to fly Zagreb seasonally from this year but dropped the plans before the pandemic.
DeleteOU could easily operate daily Q400 flights to DME.
DeleteCould the Q400 make it?
DeleteYup
DeleteWhat a fun it would be to fly with Q400 to SVO!
DeletePoor passengers.
Better than on SSJ ;)
Delete3.5 hours on dash... Nobody wants that. People hate these 2 hours to CPH with Q400, so just imagine reactions on 3.5 hours flight to Moscow.
DeleteIt would be greatto get also some flights from LED to LJU in the summer schedule.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we will be seeing any new route any time soon.
DeleteSo if they are going to focus on premium long-haul, what will they do with A320 family? They have more than 100 of them. Will any route from EXYU keep Aeroflot or will they all be switched to Pobeda?
ReplyDeleteThey can transfer them to one of their daughter companies or they might simply focus on routes where they can fill their planes with higher rates.
DeleteThey never said that they will only focus on only premium long haul. They said that their new focus will be to become a 5 star airline and the first european real premium carrier (something like Qatar, Emirates, Singapore or Cathay). Of course that they will keep their A320s, A321s and soon coming A321/320neos. I think that they will keep the most of the routes in Exyu because they are currently flying only to ZAG, SPU, TIV, LJU and BEG which are quite larger markerts and can sustain premium carrier in terms of having large poplation, solid economy of big tourist demand. I think that with Pobeda they will just add more routes/flights to exyu region like to Skopje, Sarajevo, Zadar... Routes which will be transferd from SU to Pobeda will mostly be these domestic ones because SU currently flies to 36 Russian domestic destination and not every needs transfers via SVO or premium services. I think that mostly will P2P destinations be tranfered to Pobeda...
DeleteBut what will happen with ZAG for example. It's operated by SSJ100 which are being transferred to Rossiya?
DeleteThen it will be the same as with Emirates. During the season Aeroflot and during winter Rossiya. But maybe it will be all year Rossiya because curently there is no so much diffrrence between SU and Rossiya. Everything depends what will Aeroflot do with their mainline aircraft like A320s, will they change interiors and made it more premium or it will be the same. Currently there are no differences between interiors of Rossiyas A320s and Aeroflots A320s, bothe have real business class seats and same seats in economy. We will see soon interiors on new A321neo so we will know what to expect on other mainline aircrafts.
DeleteThe A320s and A321s which are staying with Aeroflot are pretty premium for European standards.
DeleteZagreb has a large population? Are you for real?
DeleteIn terms of China, it is just a village, same as Belgrade but in terms of Europe it is a capital city with a population of 1 million ehat is quite large, especialy in this region.
DeleteYou just have to bring Belgrade into this discussion, don't you? Interesting you mention it as they don't plan on cutting it any time soon, they even managed to operate widebodies at the height of the crisis. So obviously size doesn't matter after all. ;)
DeleteThese are 2 largest cities in the region so i dont see any problem in metioning Belgrade when i say cities with large population in the region. About your 2nd sentence i really dont know what are you talking about? You are talking about some cutting and I really dont understand what cutting? They were operating widebodies after the height of the crisis because there is a lot of demand between Serbia and Russia and they were operating 2 weakly flights so it is nothing unusual whey you have so high demand and less flights. And overall i really do not understand point of your sentences.
DeleteJust like your senseless mention of belgrade when there was no need for that. Complexes I guess
DeleteAnd you cannot compare populatikn of Belgrade with population of Zagreb and say that these are the largests cities in the region?
DeleteGeneve, which is 4 times smaller than Belgrade and two times smaller than Zagreb, is premium metropolis, compared with both. My Rijeka, double or triple smaller than Geneve, long time ago, used to be "bigger" than Zagreb or Belgrade, not by its size but by its state of mind. Unfortunately it's not any more. So size is totally irrelevant. And you two should grow up
DeleteI wouldnt say that size is irrelevant in terms of demand. Zagreb is one of the largest cities in the region and Croatias economic hub so it can handle some larger numbers of premium carriers in comparasion to smaller and poorer cities like Sarajevo, Skopje or Pristina. Thats why i call Zagreb as bigger city and because of that it can sustain larger demand in comparasion to smaller cities in the region.
DeleteBut, will they even be able to fly here? I know Serbia has its borders open, but Montenegro still has Russia on the "No Entry" list. I wonder if that will change in the coming 2 weeks, before these flights are due to start.
ReplyDeleteThere is also this idea that every passenger will need a negative PCR test, not older than 72 hours, but for a lot of people this is simply not feasible. PCR tests are in short supply and usually take 4-5 days to get a result back. I just don't see how this is going to work, but happy to hear some thoughts?
You can do the test in Russia within 72 hours of arrival.
DeleteI am so glad to see they return to Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteIt shows that Serbian capital is very important to them!
It always was, in winter they had more flights than even Athens which is much bigger than Belgrade in terms of passenger numbers my friend.
Delete