V-Flyer

Aeroflot Joins the SkyTeam Alliance

Tenth Member Strengthens Position as a Leading Global Alliance and Extends Route Network Into High Growth Markets

MOSCOW, April 14, 2006 – SkyTeam announced that effective today global travelers will have direct access to an expanded network in Russia as Aeroflot officially becomes the alliance’s tenth member. SkyTeam is the first global airline alliance to welcome a Russian carrier.

With the addition of Aeroflot, SkyTeam will serve approximately 373 million passengers with nearly 15,000 daily departures to 728 global destinations in more than 149 countries. An official welcoming ceremony with key SkyTeam executives was held in Moscow.

“SkyTeam’s expansion strategy is simple – the alliance is committed to serving the destinations our customers want to travel to most,” said Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chairman and chief executive officer of Air France. “As we welcome Aeroflot into the alliance, our network now includes new markets in Russia and Eastern Europe that are poised for even greater passenger demand. With the addition of Sheremetyevo International Airport and particularly the opening of the new Aeroflot terminal 3 next year, SkyTeam is literally bringing the world closer together through a hub network that spans the globe, offering our passengers greater access and connectivity to Europe, Asia and around the world.”

Aeroflot, the largest air carrier in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has made significant progress over the past five years, enabling the airline to meet the levels of service and safety of the most effective airline companies of the world. In October 2005, Aeroflot successfully passed the International Airline Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), confirming its high operational standards. Also in 2005, the airline received an award for Onboard Service Improvement Excellence from Skytrax, a leading research and consultancy firm for the airline and air transport industry.

“Membership in the SkyTeam alliance will advance Aeroflot’s growth and enhance operational efficiencies, thereby improving our service offerings to our highly-valued customers,” said Valery Okulov, chief executive officer and chairman, Aeroflot. “We look forward to better serving our customers by linking them to the extensive SkyTeam network and providing them with more convenient connections, as well as the opportunity to earn more frequent flyer miles as they travel throughout the world.”

As part of its membership, Aeroflot passengers will be able to accrue and redeem frequent flyer miles interchangeably on any of the nine other SkyTeam member airlines. In turn, SkyTeam passengers on flights operated by Aeroflot can earn miles in their preferred frequent flyer program.

Aeroflot, which has seen steady growth in passenger volume and profit over the past several years, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SkyTeam in May 2004. Since then, the airline has made several operational and service enhancements in order to meet the stringent requirements for joining one of the world’s leading airline alliances. The Russian airline has boosted service quality for customers throughout its network, including in-flight service, and harmonized its flight system with that of SkyTeam. Aeroflot has also entered into bilateral agreements with all nine existing SkyTeam members.

As part of a fleet restructuring program, Aeroflot operates 18 new medium-haul Airbus and will receive 12 additional aircraft in 2006 and 2007, receiving strong support from both the aviation and the investment communities for this key improvement.

By the end of 2007, Aeroflot will complete construction of its passenger terminal at Sheremetyevo airport that will greatly improve ground service for Aeroflot and SkyTeam passengers.

Looking forward, the airline has plans to phase in e-ticketing, which will allow the company to achieve savings, while also increasing convenience for customers.

About Aeroflot
Based out of Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, Russia, Aeroflot began operations in 1923. It is the largest international and domestic air carrier in the country, accounting for 39 percent of international traffic and 11 percent of domestic traffic in the country. In 2005, the airline served 6.8 million passengers, connecting them to 86 cities in 46 countries. Aeroflot operates 302 flights daily with a fleet of 81 aircraft.

About SkyTeam
SkyTeam is the global airline alliance partnering ten members, including Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines. Through one of the world’s most extensive hub networks, SkyTeam offers its approximately 373 million annual passengers a worldwide system of nearly 15,000 daily flights covering all major destinations. In 2005, readers of Global Traveler Magazine voted SkyTeam “Best Airline Alliance.” Visit SkyTeam on the Web at http://www.skyteam.com.

Source: Delta Newsroom, Delta.com; SkyTeam, SkyTeam.com

"SkyTeamÕs expansion strategy is simple Ð the alliance is committed to serving the destinations our customers want to travel to most..."

SkyTeam's expansion strategy is simple : grab any airline that Star & OW won't touch. [ii]

Although, in fairness to this case, Russia is a growing market. [:?]

Aeroflot, the largest air carrier in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has made significant progress over the past five years, enabling the airline to meet the levels of service and safety of the most effective airline companies of the world.

Ummm - Weren't AeroFlot the airline with the worst safety record in the world, not too long ago? (Or am I just dreaming that?)

I think that honor could go to Air China or some of the mainland China airlines..With them moving away from their older Russian built aircraft and going with the newer western aircraft along with the IL-96's their fleet is improving alot.

Have DL or CO actually considered the number of people that they expect to travel between Salt Lake City and Novosibirsk or Cleveland and Vladivostok[:?];)

Cheers,
VS045

Funny as DGS has stopped handling Aeroflots at some US stations.

Originally posted by VS045
Have DL or CO actually considered the number of people that they expect to travel between Salt Lake City and Novosibirsk or Cleveland and Vladivostok[:?];)

Cheers,
VS045

OIL & GAS.... no need to say more

Air China- NO- this is a common mistake- air china have a very good safety record and in fact have only operated western models for a while.

The carrier with the worst safety record was China Airlines (as in taiwain)- they have of course made a lot of investment in recent years in new western built a/c and seem to be changing for the good.

Theres just something about Aeroflot that makes me feel uncomfortable - too many weird airline stories I guess!!!!

Originally posted by MarkJ
Theres just something about Aeroflot that makes me feel uncomfortable - too many weird airline stories I guess!!!!

Agreed... not sure if it's the airline stories or the history channel stories about the old IL and TU aircraft.

Originally posted by willd
Air China- NO- this is a common mistake- air china have a very good safety record and in fact have only operated western models for a while.

The carrier with the worst safety record was China Airlines (as in taiwain)- they have of course made a lot of investment in recent years in new western built a/c and seem to be changing for the good.

Thats the one..darn..sorry Air China [B)]

Air China has used Boeing aircraft for a number of years,being a pretty much USA supported state it got some very good deals on aircraft..

I've flown a couple of times on Aeroflot,they were not that bad,at least up in F..plus they had a great upgrade policy back then..grab the FSM and give them a couple of hundred $$ and your in F..

hehe- i dont think SU are that bad- after all they do operate a rather modern fleet. They have some spanking airbus and boeings and the Russian built models are all relativley new- i guess we are just all a bit concerned seeing as they arent airbus or boeing a/c!

A few years ago I flew on an Aerflot IL-86,other than having to board through the belly of th thing which was strange it was a good ride,though only a short run from Moscow to St Petersburg.

wasn't it an Aeroflot airbus that crashed with the pilots son at the controls?

Goes to show its not just the aircraft type that determines safety!!

Have heard that Aeroflot had fully reclining seats in Y?[?] Not only do many people have a bad feeling about flying an airline that became almost synonomous with communism/cold war era/questionable pratices, Sheremetyevo (SP??) isn't high on the list of best airports;)

Cheers,
VS045

Where's Iforres,as he will tell you,the airport sucks,the runways are worse.

VS45- thats why SU, BA and a lot of other major western/modern airlines (TG,SQ,QR,EK,LH,AF,MS, MY, LX) fly into Moscow Domodedovo- which if you google looks rather nice!

Originally posted by jetwet1
Where's Iforres,as he will tell you,the airport sucks,the runways are worse.

Someone call:D

Having lived and worked(airports) in Russia,Ukraine and Uzbekistan for 7years and still frequently travel to that region,(building a Dacha outside St Petes)I guess I can throw in a couple of bits and pieces on the subject.

SVO- Moscows number 1 airport (just)

Ancient and Term 2 was built for the Olympics back in the late 70'sI think. Facilities are poor (except for Duty Free )
Immigration slow due to lack of funds paid to the Army who control the border/passport control
Operated by the state amd Moscow Administration (corrupt as hell)

DME- Recently rebuilt and privately owned by East line(started off flying cargo from China) and soon to be Moscows premier airport.
As far as I know SU do not fly in there due to the politics involved (they own a large share of SVO)and the other Skyteam airlines as well still fly into SVO.

DME can operate parallel TO and landing whereas despite having 2 runways SVO cannot. DME has also bought enough surrounding land to build 5 runways[:0] which they have planned for. Also has a direct rail line from Central Moscow into the terminal. Cracking alround airport. Very swithched on for marketing as well.
http://www.domodedovo.ru/index_en.asp

As for Russian aircraft, I have flown in quite a few TU134,154,214
AN26,AN124-100 (Cargo),IL76,IL86,IL96 and YAK40 with all sorts of airlines.
It is definately a flying experience but in the main if you go with an open mind it is always fun. A Russian charter flight is definately an experience to be had[:0],because of the PAX not the aircraft.
Russian avaition did have an appaling reputation and rightly so but remember during the soviet era Aeroflot was the largest airline in the world and carried more PAX than all the others put together.
The standard of Pilot ability & flying I have found to one of the best in the world and have landed perfectly in some attrocious weather where other flights have refused.
We used to count how many times BA would go around in a snow storm, whislt 9 russian flights landed in between:D
Now a days it is a completely different ball game with many private airlines and semi state changing over to western aircraft however the new Russian RRJ being developed is a little cracker which is getting a lot of good press.

There is loads more I could ramble on about but I need to do some work.

If you want any more stuff just let me know.

Iain

Hmmm I wasnt sure if SU did serve DME but saw they were on the website of airlines serving the airport- are they planning on moving soon??

Hi Willd,

They certainly will not use it as a hub. SVO will always be their home. The plans for an SVO term 3 have been in the pipeline for the last 10yrs but it looks as though it may actually get off the ground soon. I am up in DME and SVO at the end of May so will try and get an update. One other airport in Moscow that is rapidly developing is Vnukovo. Used to be an "officals/govermental" airport only but has since opened up. Loads of charters flying from there now and would be good if LC carriers wanted to fly to Moscow. Again good rail connections to the city centre.

LED(Pulkovo) in St Petes deserately needs an update despite its new facelift a couple of years ago. Huge airport with loads of potential with one of the nicest cities in the world only a few Km's away, but then I am slightly biased[:I]

Iain

LED(Pulkovo) in St Petes deserately needs an update despite its new facelift a couple of years ago. Huge airport with loads of potential with one of the nicest cities in the world only a few Km's away, but then I am slightly biased

Iain

...never;)[:p][}:)]

Cheers,
VS045

I flew Aeroflot last year... a weekend in Moscow in Feb, staying with some mates over there. Return flight for £110 (inc Taxes!) compared to BAs quote of £280.

My impression was very good.
Clean, modern airbus both ways. Leather seats, Hot Food, Limited bar (but allowed... almost encouraged... to drink our own duty free!).
Staff were all professional... some could have smiled a bit more, whilst others seemed to love their jobs and couldn't do enough to help.

SVO airport, quite possibly the most horrible transport facility i've ever been to (far worse than even the worst African Terminals i've passed through)... it actually felt quite threatening after security with people wandering around asking to see your passport (we'd been warned not to by our mates... or risk having to pay a ransom to get it back).

Over all i'd fly them again (especially for that price!).

As for Moscow... loved the place. Utterly Amazing.

Hi V-Ben,

SVO is a complete dog of an airport, and the immigration a nightmare. Never heard the one about people asking to see your passport though, must be a new scam.

Glad you enjoyed the city. Try Transaero from LGW-DME next time. A lot nicer arrival airport.

Iain