Czech Airlines to initiate scheduled service to Novosibirsk

Czech Airlines will commence scheduled flights between Prague and Novosibirsk in Central Russia and boost the number of its flights to other Russian cities.  Novosibirsk, the third largest city in the Russian Federation, will be connected to Prague twice a week, thanks to this new Czech Airlines route.  The departure times were chosen primarily so as to suit the Russian clientele in their travels to the Czech Republic, whether on business or as tourists.  Czech Airlines will start operations on the new route on 28 April 2009, deploying its most modern Airbus A319 aircraft, which accommodates 135 passengers.

Boosting flights to Russia
Russia is one of Czech Airlines’ most significant markets, proof of which is the increasing number of flights on many routes to the Russian Federation.  With the summer flight schedule, Czech Airlines beefed up flights to Yekaterinburg, where up to five weekly flights are available to passengers.  A greater number of flights is also available to passengers on the Rostov-on-Don route, which was launched last year: whereas last summer, the Airline offered one weekly flight on that route, this year, there will be as many as three connections.  Also the high number of connections from Prague to Moscow will be preserved, where passengers can fly with Czech Airlines 24 times a week, and to St. Petersburg, to which the Airline will offer four flights a week.  Passengers will also be able to take advantage of four direct weekly flights from Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) to Moscow.  Also one direct flight from Karlovy Vary to St. Petersburg will be retained.  The Airline also offers four weekly flights on the Prague – Samara route.

The new Novosibirsk route 
Czech Airlines expects the new route to Novosibirsk to be preferred primarily by clients from the Russian Federation, both business passengers and tourists, on their travels to the Czech Republic.  The so-called local clientele, i.e., tourists who do not plan to transfer to connecting flights in Prague, but are only travelling to the Czech Republic or, on the other hand, to Novosibirsk, is expected to comprise up to 70 percent of all passengers.  With a transfer in Prague, however, the route will be useful for passengers from Russia flying onwards to anywhere in Western Europe, and, likewise, from Western Europe to Russia.  “Czech Airlines is the only carrier from Central Europe that offers flights from the Novosibirsk Airport,” said Vice President for Marketing and Product Development Petr Pištělák.

The flight schedule on the new route
During the summer flight schedule, starting 28 April, Czech Airlines aircraft will fly to Novosibirsk on Tuesdays and Fridays at 22:30, landing in Novosibirsk after a more than six-hour flight, at 9:35 local time.  The aircraft will head back at 11:15, landing in Prague at 13:00 local time. 

Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third largest city in the Russian Federation and the largest city in Siberia.  It lies on the River Ob and along the north side of the Novosibirsk Water Reservoir.  It is the administrative centre of the Novosibirskaja Oblast and of the entire Siberian Federal Circuit. It was founded in 1893 during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and its status was elevated to that of a city in 1903.  For three decades, the city bore the name Novonikolayevsk, in honour of Tsar Nicholas II.  It was renamed Novosibirsk in 1925.  Until 1917, Novonikolayevsk was merely a business and industrial centre, with primarily the processing industry developing there.  Since 1921, it has gradually acquired its status as the political, industrial, and manufacturing centre of Western Siberia.

Source: Transportweekly