With 50% Growth Aeroflot’s India Operation Builds Up A Positive Story
Aeroflot marked 60 years of scheduled flights to Delhi, the capital of India in this month. The first regular flight between Moscow and Delhi took place on 18 August 1958 on a Tu-104. Founded on 17th March 1923, Aeroflot is among thea world’s oldest airlines and one of Russia’s most recognized brands. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Nikolay Kudashev spoke about the unhindered tradition of greater bilateral ties with India, said: “Given its size and potential as well as a positive legacy of bilateral ties India remains a priority market for Russia’s largest airline.”
The Year 2017 was a record-setting year for the Moscow-Delhi route; Aeroflot carried almost 290 thousand passengers, a 50% year-on-year increase. It is good news for the India sky amidst the tough years for many commercial airlines under pressure due to rising fuel, labour costs and higher interest rates.
Talking about the performance, Aeroflot’s India General Manager, Kidisyuk Sergey remarked: “Throughout these years Del-Mow route has become one of the most long-established and high-demand routes in our network. Aeroflot operates (twice-daily) direct service between New Delhi and Moscow aboard modern and comfortable Airbus A330 aircraft.”
India was Aeroflot’s first country in Southeast Asia, and since then Aeroflot operated the Moscow-Delhi route without a break. “As demand for air travel between the two countries grew so did flight frequencies. Today, the Russian flag carrier operates two daily flights between Moscow and Delhi using modern and comfortable Airbus A330 aircraft”, he further explained the reason for higher growth.
Aeroflot flights on the Moscow-Delhi route are in high demand. Between 2000 and 2017, passenger traffic between the two capitals amounted to 2.45 million. In spring 2016, passenger traffic increased sharply following the launch of the second daily flight.
The Moscow-Delhi route is strategically important for Aeroflot as it aims to further grow transit traffic between Europe and Asia. Passengers choose Russia’s leading airline to travel from Delhi to destinations in Russia and Europe. “Among Aeroflot’s competitive advantages are competitive fares, high-quality service and convenient transit via the airline’s hub at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport”, said Sergey.
Some of the salient factor for the surge in the route as Aeroflot transit passengers connecting between India and Europe enjoy the shortest airtime.
“Our legacy of six decades of partnership, six decades of connecting our respective capital cities, six decades of bringing Russia and India closer together is something we are proud of and look forward to continuing to build upon”, Sergey emphasized the historical ties between India and Russia. It is certainly the good times for the Indian travellers who flock to Russia to get closer to the history at the epochal Red Square in Moscow or swing by the avant grade culture of music, art and museums in St. Petersburg.
