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Vladivostok Air proceeds to the implementation of summer transportation program via Abakan airport. It is distinguished first of all by heavy traffic and large volume of cargoes forwarded by the airlines through this airport. Vladivostok Air will use modern Airbus A-320 and Tu-204-300 for these flights.
Passengers can take advantage of daily (except Saturday) flights to Moscow by A-320 to travel on the reliable air bridge to the capital. Company flight is conveniently connected to Vladivostok Air flights from Moscow to Frankfurt-Hahn (Germany), Sochi and Krasnodar.
Passenger cabins are equipped with audio and video entertainment, comfortable seats and effective conditioning systems. Our perfect flight attendance will make even a long flight comfortable and relaxing.
Let us remind you that in April Vladivostok Air decided to prohibit strong drinks on board its aircrafts under service improvement program striving for passengers safety and comfort. Our company carefully monitors liquid carriage on board its aircrafts. The restrictions are strictly observed in Vladivostok Air flights from Abakan. As a matter of experience, most passengers and public in Republic of Khakassia appreciate and support the innovation.
However, along with positives of air transportation service in the republic Vladivostok Air faces some actual negative trends.
The main disadvantage of Khakassia airport is its isolation from the main airlines and strong competition of the nearby Krasnoyarsk junction airport with its high-duty air hub. Low mobility of local people, remoteness of towns from one another affected aviation development in Khakassia. For the recent 4 years airlines' attempts to launch direct international flights from Abakan to Harbin, Dalian and domestic fights to Norilsk and Krasnodar, Tomsk and Kemerovo have been ineffective due to low demand. For instance, in 2004 passenger flow through Abakan Airport was formed by 39193 passengers, while in 2005 it reduced to 34099 people. The situation slightly improved in 2006. The airport handled 46336 passengers, but average annual seat occupation remained at 64% level. Due to route network enlargement and increased number of flights from Abakan transportation volumes reached 58 thousand passengers by 2007, but seats were still occupied 65% only. That is why in this season Vladivostok Air will focus on Abakan — Moscow flights. Passengers of the republic are offered a wonderful opportunity to get to Europe or to the South of Russia by the same airlines flights from Moscow on convenient connection schemes.
Vladivostok Air presence in the region since the beginning of 90-s in the last century proved to maintain air transportation and even to gradually increase passenger flow. However, the trends of 2007-2008 are not optimistic, because the airlines performs its flight at the lowest bottom of profitability sometimes sliding to the bad. This means that offer exceeds demand available.
World practices of low traffic airports show that it is a base carrier that allows the airport operation sustainability and mitigation of the season nature effect of air transportation. Since the moment of its branch establishment in Republic of Khakassia Vladivostok Air has been putting al efforts to facilitate base flight services. Having preserved a full-fledged maintenance structure and employment for aviation engineering department, the airlines provided for the maintenance staff retraining for A-320 and Tu-204-300 aircrafts. Our company is continuously implementing new passenger handling techniques. For instance, we installed up-to-date check-in and e-ticket systems in Abakan Airport on our own account. It is absolutely clear that efforts of single airlines are insufficient in such a situation.
It should be mentioned that Vladivostok Air is very much concerned about the present condition of Abakan Airport, whereas the airport management is trying to transfer the load of responsibility onto the airlines. Depreciation of the airport fixed assets and infrastructure will soon achieve tremendous levels, affecting landing strips, aprons, taxiways, essential take-of and landing ground facilities. This can result in a complete stop of the airport facilities operation and termination of air transportation. The current unsatisfactory condition of landing strip threatens termination of flights for aircrafts with low-positioned engines like Tu-204-300 and A-320. The airlines will have to employ Tu-154 for the flights. This aircraft type consumes more fuel thus inevitably increasing the tariff levels for the republic population.
All the reproaches from the airport management towards the airlines in respect of alleged disposal of competitors are absolutely untenable. Competition normally occurs between at least several rivals. In fact other carriers believe emerging in Abakan Airport to be of low profit for them because of the restricting factors, such as growing tariffs for airport service, small number of potential passengers and proximity of large competing airports. Naturally, many Russian air carriers have recently announced their intentions to perform flight from/to Abakan, however, careful investigation of the passenger flow market in the republic made all of them cancel their initial plans.
It is evident for any aviation economy expert that Abakan Airport can not be compared to Krasnoyarsk or Kemerovo airports. Under current circumstances Abakan Airport management should keep to a more business-like and reasonable position because the problem can be effectively solved for Republic of Khakassia through joint efforts only. All the more, the reasons why the airport management removed filling facilities, the only profitable element of the airport, from the airport structure, are unclear and bewildering.
As a result the price per ton of aviation fuel has increased by 4 thousand rubles already.
Federal authorities seem to show little concern about the airport maintenance and development. Obviously, with the nearby Krasnoyarsk Airport responsible for the bulk of transportation in the region, federal center is not going to develop Abakan Airport.
Experience of the leading Russian airports prompts that under current circumstances economy reform aimed at profitable operation and search for additional income sources would be much more reasonable than any removals from the airport structure. Meanwhile the airport management uses airport service tariffs rise as the only source of profitability.
The airline believes subsidies from the republic budget for airport operation maintenance to be the only way out of the situation. Nowadays Russia has got legal procedures for airport transfer from national government into regional ownership. So, if the republic needs the airport, is should make straightforward steps in this direction, otherwise in a year or two Abakan Airport will become unserviceable altogether.
PR Department
Vladivostok Air
oso@vladavia.ru
