Direct flights to Hong Kong and Singapore

For the first time the 6.7 million residents of Russia's huge Federal Far East District can flights direct to Hong Kong and Singapore. The twice weekly route was opened on October 21 this year (2011) by Vladivostock Air, the largest airline in the region.Locally known as VladAir the carrier has served destinations in neighbouring mainland China and Korea for a number of years but this autumn has been spreading its wings to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Delpasar in Bali.

Based in Vladivostok, the largest city in the region with 617,500, the IATA member airline is obviously gearing up for the increased business between the Pacific coastal port city of Vladivostok and the surrounding Russian region and the Asian Pacific Region which is expected to be spurred by the APEC Summit in the city a year from now.Vladivostok is having a make-over with a new iconic suspension bridge being built linking the mainland with the Russkiy Ozera island which will be the site of the summit. A barren hilly island with only a few dwellings the summit location is being built from scratch and the new complex is scheduled to become the new Federal University of the Far East when the APEC leaders depart.

Vladivostok Air began operations in 1932 and until September 2008 operated only between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. However the closure of debt-ridden regional airline Dalavia in 2008 paved the way for a dramatic expansion of Vladivostok Air into the leading airline in Russia's Far East with an expansion of domestic and international routes.With a total of 19 aircraft including 10 Airbus and 11 Mi-8 helicopters the airline carries about 1,100,000 passengers annually between 24 domestic and 13 international destinations. The airline is 51% owned by the state and 49% by employees.Flights are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The new service introduces a new holiday destination for Singapore residents. For Russian Far East travelers, a potential market of 6.5 million, Singapore is not only a destination for tourism, medical, and education activities, but an excellent transit point to destinations in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.Mr. Yam Kum Weng, Singapore Changi Airport Group’s Executive Vice President for Air Hub Development, said:With the introduction of world-class tourism offerings in Singapore, we are seeing more Russian visitors twinning Singapore with another Southeast Asian destination to create fun-filled ‘city-plus-beach’ holiday experiences. With its extensive network and flight options to Southeast Asia, Changi Airport is a convenient gateway for Russian travelers to reach many renowned resort destinations such as Bintan, Bali, and Phuket.