Opposite Shores of the Sea

zoom

April 1, 2009 is the 15th Anniversary of Vladivostok — Niigata regular route. The Japanese city was the first international airport on Vladivostok Air flight chart.

Establishment of international air communications in 1994 gave an impulse for further development of the airline and became a keystone in its history. The air bridge between Vladivostok and Niigata is of great economical and political importance as it connects two large cities and also two economic regions of Russia and Japan to strengthen good neighborhood with a strong partner in the Pacific area.

For the period of regular operations on the route Vladivostok Air increased the annual number of flights from 14 to more than 200 to carry about 20 thousand passengers and 100 tons of cargo every year. In total, the airline performed almost 3 thousand flights and transported about 250 thousand passengers and more than 1 thousand tons of mail and cargo for the 15 years.

In should be mentioned that from 1994 to 1998 Vladivostok Air performed all its Vladivostok — Niigata flights with the national airline flag. At the negotiations held on June 24-26, 1997 between the aviation authorities of Russian Federation and Japan the parties agreed to appoint Vladivostok Air an official carrier to Japan. On July 3, 1998 Tu-154 performed the first flight on Vladivostok — Niigata route with Vladivostok Air own flag. Vladivostok Air became the second official carrier to Japan in the history of Russian civil aviation.

The airline pays special attention to international routes development, and it launched regular international flights from Khabarovsk to Niigata as early as in winter 2008.

Today the flights are performed by modern comfortable А320 and Tu-204-300. The aircrafts take off in Vladivostok on Thursday and Sunday and depart from Khabarovsk on Monday and Friday.

Along with Niigata flights Vladivostok Air offers regular international flights from Vladivostok to Toyama, Seoul, Pusan, Beijing, Harbin, Hanoi, and from Khabarovsk to Seoul, Beijing and Harbin.

Reference: Vladivostok Air is the largest air carrier in the Russian Far East with the air fleet including Tu-204-300, Airbus А320, Tu-154М, Yak-40, Mi-8 and Ка-32. From 2004 the airline is a full member of International Air Transport Association (IATA). 2008 achievements of the airline include IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) standards compliance, maintaining performance growth dynamics and air fleet renewal. Ahead is acquiring Airbus A330 and launching new domestic and international flights.