Russia-Ukraine commercial aviation ties

[cc3]

Way overdue:


http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-ban-russian-airlines-flying-182114345.html

[alex330]

My wife just returned from Odessa on Aeroflot with layover in Moscow.

On the trip over her flight almost crashed because cargo below had shifted. Passengers banging on the pilots locked cabin door trying to get any information possible. They had to circle Moscow to burn off fuel then land to be herded into a bus on the tarmac for several hours while waiting for a replacement plane. Never again she says.

The return flight she sat next to the head of HR for Aeroflot who makes the pilots schedules. They talked shop as my wife works in the industry and she explained all the rules (discrimination and slave labor) and regulations Aeroflot has in place.

Apparently flight 110 (Moscow to Miami) is called the pregnancy route. Wife said that maybe 80% of the women were pregnant and on their way to Miami to give birth to anchor babies. It is the latest medical tourism craze in Moscow.

[jone]

In what appears to be a response, apparently Russia has now banned Ukrainian aircraft from flyovers of Russian airspace beginning October 25th.

http://tvrain.ru/news/air-395282/

[Slumba]

So does this mean prices will likely go up for those traveling from the USA?

[mendeleyev]

Likely.

Airline companies pay for flyover rights to each country, so it would cost Russia millions if US flights (a possibility) were banned.

However, it would also mean that US airlines would have to:

- reroute many flights, thereby increasing time (wages) and fuel costs.

- or, revenue share with carriers who remain in good standing with Russia. Ex: LAX to ZHR on a US carrier, ZHR to Russia on a Swiss carrier. That is done already via many "code share" routes.

Delta stopped it's always full direct JFK to SVO routes, and while they cited cost factors, the reality is that those were almost always stuffed to max seating twice daily. More likely are political undercurrents. Now Delta routes most of those customers via KLM through Amsterdam, or via AF through Paris, and then to Russia.

[cc3]

So does this mean prices will likely go up for those traveling from the USA?

Yes. Simple economics. When the lowest priced competitor, Aeroflot/Transaero is removed from the scene, air fares, to Russia and to eastern Europe via Russia, from the USA will rise, maybe not for winter flying, but definitely in the spring/summer travel season.