Aeroflot, Russia’s flag airline, will restart flights from Moscow to Phuket on October 30, according to government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. The airline will once again provide a direct link for Russian travelers visiting Thailand.
Following months of flight cancellations due to the situation in Ukraine, the airline is gradually re-establishing its footprint in the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia.
Flights were halted during the start of the Russian-Ukraine war, which saw Russian airlines barred from various nations’ airspace. After a hiatus of many months, Aeroflot is poised to resume flights to one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, Phuket. Due to the conflict in Ukraine, Russian airlines were forced to cancel flights to several overseas locations in response to Western sanctions.
However, in recent months, Aeroflot has progressively resumed previously canceled flights as it seeks to sustain operations despite the constraints imposed on the country’s aviation sector.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said that Aeroflot has confirmed the restoration of the Moscow-Phuket route in the winter schedule, beginning on October 30th with a daily flight. The flights are now available for purchase on the airline’s official website.
Approximately 76,700 Russian travellers have visited Thailand since the beginning of the year. However, the majority of these visitors arrived in the nation before the situation in Ukraine deteriorated. Nevertheless, Mr Thanakorn stated that the TAT and tourist operators had set an aim of recruiting 1 million Russians for the entire year.
Between January 1 and July 26, around 3.1 million overseas visitors visited in Thailand, according to a government spokesperson.
Several tour companies are optimistic about Russian demand, but connection is still a problem. The return of Aeroflot’s route to Phuket is anticipated to alleviate some of the strain, with the expectation that other airlines would follow suit.
Mr. Yuthasak stated that numerous Thai airlines, including Thai Airways and Thai AirAsia X, were interested in running this route in order to replace Russian carriers. However, due to European sanctions, technical support like as maintenance and spare component shipments have been prohibited for the previous few months. Insurance to offer coverage in such situations has also been a challenge.
However, with Aeroflot restarting flights in the fourth quarter of the year, it is hoped that the development would bring more than one million Russian visitors to the nation.
Western sanctions imposed in the aftermath of the Ukraine conflict have had a significant impact on the Russian aviation sector. Aeroflot, in particular, landed in deep water, forcing planes to be grounded and trips to many overseas locations to be canceled.
In June, it was revealed that Aeroflot intended to raise up to $3 billion in an emergency share sale in order to maintain flying operations. Flights to Colombo, Sri Lanka, were also halted when one of the airline’s A330s was detained there owing to concerns with the aircraft’s lessor.
However, certain significant routes have resumed in the last few months, including direct flights between Moscow and New Delhi, as well as another tourist hotspot, Male in the Maldives. Moreover, with some of its prior critical routes still stopped, Aeroflot will be unable to restore to full capacity for some time.
Author: Editorial Staff
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