WORLD : Aeroflot Gets Some Competition
State airline Aeroflot, whose poor service has made it the butt of jokes by Soviet air passengers, will soon face competition from a consortium set up by its own pilots, Izvestia said today.
The government newspaper said the new airline, named ASDA (Assn. of Extra Long Haul Routes), has received preliminary approval from a parliamentary commission and has until January to present final proposals.
ASDA will fly leased Boeing 747s. Some of its staff will be air force pilots laid off by cuts in the armed forces.
The new airline could be in business as early as 1991, operating long-haul routes in the Soviet Union and abroad.
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