Fuel Provoked the ‘European Loss’

[IMG=21028-6866]Ekaterinburg is expecting fuel to increase in price on September 26th– it will grow from 22,000 rubles to 22,500 rubles per tone. After the increase in fuel price The Urals airlines took a decision not to increase ticket prices. According to the Commercial director of the Airline, Kirill Skuratov, constant ‘fuel pressing’ made the company adopt certain changes to the flight schedule. Thus, owing the unprofitability scheduled flights from Ekaterinburg to Düsseldorf and Paris will be terminated on September 17th and October 3rd correspondingly. The flights are planned to be launched again in spring following the increase of demand for these destinations. Meanwhile, local travel market experts believe that the decision of the Urals Airlines to terminate the flights to Europe was also provoked by the existence of the alternative flights to the destination. Lolita Nagevichute, Senior Manager of Fund of the World, said: ‘flights from Ekaterinburg to Paris are operated also by Australian Airlines, Czech Airlines and Lufthansa that also operates flights to Germany’. Elena Myasnikova, Deputy of General Director of Intourline, added: ‘tourists might not like lack of direct flight to Paris, but I do not think it will affect the tourist flow to the destination’. Furthermore, the Urals Airlines do not consider the ‘European loss’ to be a serious problem taking into account economical performance and financial situation in the region. Instead of Paris and Düsseldorf the company plans to operate three scheduled flights - to India (Deli), Thailand (Bangkok) and China. The travel companies of the region feel enthusiastic towards the initiative: the interest in the South East Asia is increasing, but at the moment it is possible to get an exotic holiday only via Tashkent and Dubai.