On Wednesday, Tokyo-based All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced new service to Vladivostok, Russia. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot also celebrated 30 years of membership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
In a company press release today, ANA announced new international service from Tokyo-Narita (NRT) to Vladivostok International Airport (VVO) in Russia. Service will begin on March 16, 2020 and this new route is part of ANA’s strategy to serve more cities in Russia. Vladivostok has become a major tourist attraction and ANA will be the first Japanese airline servicing this route. Japanese tourists enjoy the distinct architecture, natural beauty of the countryside, scenic streets and historic buildings. Vladivostok has become an economic hub vital to Russo-Japanese trade and is popular with both tourists and business travelers. In Wednesday’s announcement, ANA’s Senior Vice President, Seiichi Takahashi stated,
“ANA has long targeted Russia for expansion, and we chose Vladivostok as our first Russian destination because it serves as a gateway that connects Eurasia with the Pacific. At ANA we aim to serve as a gateway for our passengers that allow them to reach new destinations and connect with new cultures. Our desire is to offer unrivaled service and meet emerging passenger needs led us to begin service to Vladivostok.”
Source: All Nippon Airways
Aeroflot Celebrates 30 Years of IATA Membership
It has been three decades since the Russian flag carrier Aeroflot joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA). To mark the occasion, IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, arrived in Moscow to personally recognize the company on this milestone. As expressed in today’s Aeroflot Press Release, during the ceremony Mr. de Juniac stated,
“I can see why Aeroflot has been winning awards for its service. The airline has a clear business strategy, and a strong customer service ethos with well trained and motivated staff. Aeroflot is focused on the digitization of the business process. It is the fourth ranked airline globally for this aspect of operation. The company is geared around digital transformation and this experience is highly valuable for IATA. Digitization is one of the industry’s priority goals. We look to Aeroflot to be a partner in IATA projects, and be at the forefront of the changes that the industry is making to embrace the technology revolution.”
In October 1989, Aeroflot joined IATA during their 45th annual meeting in Warsaw Poland, becoming the first Russian airline member. Aeroflot was named the world’s largest airline by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1990, having carried 139M passengers. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, passenger numbers fell to a low of 3M by 1994. The airline turned the corner by 2009 and was carrying over 50M passengers annually by 2017. Aeroflot hopes to carry 90-100M passengers annually by the time of their 2023 centenary celebrations. During today’s event, Aeroflot’s CEO, Vitaly Saveliev stated,
“Aeroflot’s joining the International Air Transport Association has driven a large scale consolidation of the Russian and global airline industry. IATA’s mission is to represent, lead, and serve the airline industry. Aeroflot fulfills the same mission in this country. Over the years Russia became an integral part of global aviation, an absolute leader in the dynamic region of Eastern Europe. Aeroflot is actively involved in promotion of IATA’s innovative solutions in the Russian market. For instance, together with IATA we are introducing the modern NDC (New Distribution Capability) standard. Aeroflot gained level 3 NDC certification from IATA.”
Source: Aeroflot