Russia’s Largest Airlines Cut Back Flights

Russia’s two largest airlines, Aeroflot and Transaero, are cutting back flights by at least 25% because of the country’s economic troubles, according to a published report. Aeroflot, formerly the massive Soviet state airline, reduced flights last week by 25% in response to dwindling demand. Transaero, Russia’s largest private airline, said it would slash its flights by 30% and may cut more than that in the next two months, the English-language Moscow Times reported over the weekend. Transaero expects to lose up to 130,000 passengers this year because of the country’s financial problems, Chairman Alexander Pleshakov was quoted as saying. The company flew 1.6 million passengers in 1997. To try to lure back passengers, Aeroflot last week started offering special $260 round-trip tickets to and from the United States--on the condition that customers agree to randomly selected dates of departure. International airlines that serve Moscow have also trimmed service to Russia or are offering significant discounts.