Aviation

Aeroflot plans monthly inbound charters to Kerala in 2006

Premium economy on Indian routes on anvil

Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai

Aeroflot, Russian Airlines is looking at introducing monthly inbound charters into Kerala, which it sees as the next leading charter destination to compete with Goa. Having operated one charter to Trivandrum with 200 people last year, the Russian scheduled carrier is keen to connect more destinations in Kerala directly to Moscow in light of growing tourist interest for the state.

Confirming this, Vladimir Ivchenko, station manager, Aeroflot Russian Airlines told ETW that the concentration on Goa was not healthy as a charter destination has a typical cycle of tourism interest which eventually caps and erodes inbound traffic. With Goa, literally having become India's charter capital, he felt it was imperative to look elsewhere. He identified May to September as the high season when the charters could operate.

The airline, which is currently operating the Boeing 767 on Indian routes, is also poised for a potential third cabin - Premium Economy. According to Ivchenko, "The big gap in pricing between Business and Economy leaves a large audience in between, which could be converted to the upper end if the Economy class product is enhanced. It provides the customer with value and enhances our load factors. We will however not consider the first class cabin option, at least not on the Indian routes." He lamented the high costs of operating a charter, saying he did not understand how the government failed to see its own benefits in the prospect. "Charters bring in international tourists and currency, which can only benefit the local economy. Many countries have built their economies around charters. The Indian government however is not providing any incentives to do so," voiced Ivchenko.