RUSSIA: Pobeda Goes To Pulkovo Airport

Aeroflot low-cost subsidiary Pobeda Airline plans to launch three new international routes from St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport in October, the airport said.

The carrier starts 3X-weekly Milan Bergamo service Oct. 11; 4X-weekly London Stansted service Oct. 12; and daily Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen service Oct. 28.

The Moscow Vnukovo-based airline will compete on the St. Petersburg-London route with another Aeroflot subsidiary, Rossiya Airlines, which operates flights to Gatwick, and British Airways, flying to Heathrow.

On the Istanbul route, Pobeda will compete with Rossiya and Turkish Airlines, which are connecting Pulkovo with Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

Pobeda launched flights from Pulkovo in October 2015.

During the first seven months of 2018, the airline carried 577,000 passengers from Pulkovo, up 136% year-over-year (YOY).

The airline’s St. Petersburg network included 11 domestic and five international destinations in the IATA 2018 summer season.

Moscow Domodedovo-based S7 Airlines, the second biggest carrier in Russia after Aeroflot Group, also boosts a network from St. Petersburg.


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TURKEY: Turkish Airlines Has The 300th Aircraft

Turkish Airlines has added its 300th aircraft to its fleet on Friday, as the company aims to boost its fleet to 500 aircraft by 2023.

The addition of the plane was celebrated with a ceremony at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

The addition of the 300th plane, TC-LNC, to Turkish Airlines fleet was celebrated with a ceremony that was held today at Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) in the new hangar of Turkish Technic Inc.

The ceremony included the participation of Turkish Airlines Board Chairman, M. Ilker Ayci, Turkish Airlines CEO, Dr. Temel Kotil, Airbus Regional Sales Director/Middle East and Europe, Douglas Anderson, and Airbus Contracts Director, David Bonnel, as well as a large number of business partners and media representatives.

Speaking at the ceremony, Turkish Airlines Board Chairman M. Ilker Ayci said that Turkish Airlines was at the top among the fastest growing airlines worldwide.

“With 300 aircraft in our fleet today, we are the world’s 13th largest airline in terms of fleet size, and with 39 new aircraft to be added by the end of this year, Turkish Airlines will be even more prominent at the international level with its young fleet,” Ayci said.

Douglas Anderson, Senior Sales Director of Airbus expressed gratitude to Turkish Airlines “for their confidence in Airbus aircraft”.

“Ten years ago Turkish Airlines was operating with only seven wide-body aircraft and today they have more than 70. We are honored to be a partner in their growth and look forward to be a part of their growing fleet in the coming years,” he said.

“Turkish Airlines received its 100th aircraft in August 2006, 73 years after its establishment. Nearly seven years later, in March 2013, its fleet reached 200 aircraft. With 300 aircraft in our fleet today, we are the world’s 13th largest airline in terms of fleet size*, and with 39 new aircraft to be added by the end of this year, Turkish Airlines will be even more prominent at the international level with its young fleet,” Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci told.

“We are determined that Turkish Airlines will have the strongest base in international aviation with its highly-qualified workforce and its young, modern fleet. We have made huge efforts to reach that objective as a big family working together. The 300th airplane is one symbol of our determination to reach the vision and objectives that we’ve set,” Ilker Ayci added.

Following the ceremony, the aircraft was handed over to Turkish Airlines.

Powered by CF6-80E1 engines, Turkish Airlines’ last Airbus A330-300 aircraft is the first aircraft to be equipped with galleys from TCI – Turkish Cabin Interiors – and economy class seats from TSI – Turkish Seat Industries – all manufactured in Turkey.

Turkish Airlines’ new aircraft will be deployed on existing medium and long-haul routes from the Turkish Airlines Istanbul hub, adding more capacity to enhance the airline’s growth strategy.

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Turkish Airlines today is a 4-star airline with a fleet of 300 passenger and cargo aircraft flying to 284 destinations worldwide.

Turkish Airlines operates 159 Airbus aircraft, including 53 A330 variants.

Taking its place as one of the world’s major airlines, Turkish Airlines continues to grow its fleet in order to meet the needs of its ever-growing network and expanding customer base. Turkish Airlines also wishes to serve its customers with Europe’s youngest and most modern fleet.

TURKEY: Turkish Airlines Makes Miami Destination #12 In The Americas

Wow this model plane is heavy. Special guests at the inaugural Turkish Airlines service from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to Miami share the load to commemorate the start of the 777-300-operated, daily service. The airline also connected Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen and Baghdad on the same day.

Turkish Airlines began another US destination this week (25 October), commencing daily services on the 9,601-kilometre airport pair of Istanbul Atatürk (IST) to Miami (MIA). With existing services to Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Boston, Montreal and San Francisco, the route becomes its 12th destination in the Americas.

“We’re thrilled to name Miami as the newest gateway in the US and proud to serve one of the most influential tourism centres in the world. Our global network and award-winning service will make international travel easier and more convenient for both business and leisure travellers in this area,” says Turkish Airlines’ CMO Ahmet Olmuştur.

The route will flown by the Star Alliance carrier’s 777-300 fleet and faces no direct competition. On the same day, Turkish Airlines launched another daily service, this time between Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and Baghdad (BGW). The 1,569-kilometre sector will be operated by the airline’s 737-800 fleet and will encounter competition from the incumbent carrier Pegasus Airlines, which operates the same airport pair thrice-weekly.

GEORGIA: Borajet Airlines Enhances Batumi Route

Passengers on the inaugural Borajet Airlines flight between Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen and Batumi were welcomed with a cocktail at the terminal in Georgia, and treated a special celebration cake. VIPs handling the ceremony were: Mikail Develioğlu, Representative of Turkish Consulate in Batumi; Mamia Berdzenishvili, Representative of the department of Tourism and resorts of Adjara; Shenol Sezer, Representative of Borajet Airlines; Sait Faik Gurshen, Representative of Turkish Consulate in Batumi; Mert Kandiyeli, Batumi International Airport’s Manager TAV Georgia; Ozlem Suna, Representative of Borajet Airlines; Asan Kanarya, Representative of Borajet Airlines; and İbrahim Eren, Representative of Borajet Airlines.

Borajet Airlines began flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on 4 September to Batumi (BUS).

The seaside city of Batumi sits on Georgia’s Black Sea coast and is the capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in the south-west of the country. The airline will operate services thrice-weekly, using its E190 and E195 fleet.

There is currently no direct competition on the 1,032-kilometre airport pair, although Turkish Airlines does offer a daily service on the city pair, but operated from its Istanbul Atatürk hub.