Aeroflot Group's new Far Eastern carrier to operate first service in winter 2013/2014

Sakhalin Airlines announced (13-Aug-2013) it will complete the first stage of a large-scale integration project with Vladivostok Avia to establish a single Far Eastern airline within the Aeroflot Group. The airline will operate its first service in winter 2013/2014. The airline plans to increase its route network from 172 routes in 2013 to 534 routes in 2018 and increase destinations from 30 to 128. Over the same period the airline expects to increase its passenger traffic to 2.4 million p/a. The new airline's fleet will include six A319/A320 aircraft and Boeing 737 aircraft. The airline's regional fleet of Bombardier Twin Otter, Q300 and Q400 aircraft is expected to grow also. By 2018 the airline plans to operate a fleet of up to 40 aircraft. The airline is expected to play a powerful part in the socio-economic development of the region. [more - original PR Russian]