newstodate.aero
Mar 19, 2010 (newstodate): Things seem to move in the favor of Cathay Pacific in its long-enduring efforts to gain access to the Russian market.
The carrier has worked on the Russian government since 2005 to be allowed to launch own flight from Hong Kong to Moscow, but Russian red tape has long prohibited the airline's own flights, forcing it to maintain services through a code-share agreement with Aeroflot instead.
Cathay Pacific has now reportedly abrogated the code-share agreement with effect from March 28, 2010, indicating that it expects to finally be allowed to launch own flights on the route.
So far no official announcement of the route opening has yet been made, but the carrier has again been seeking approval from the Russian authorities to open traffic from summer 2010 between Hong Kong and Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, aiming at introducing three weekly services with Airbus A340-300 aircraft on the route.
The carrier has worked on the Russian government since 2005 to be allowed to launch own flight from Hong Kong to Moscow, but Russian red tape has long prohibited the airline's own flights, forcing it to maintain services through a code-share agreement with Aeroflot instead.
Cathay Pacific has now reportedly abrogated the code-share agreement with effect from March 28, 2010, indicating that it expects to finally be allowed to launch own flights on the route.
So far no official announcement of the route opening has yet been made, but the carrier has again been seeking approval from the Russian authorities to open traffic from summer 2010 between Hong Kong and Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, aiming at introducing three weekly services with Airbus A340-300 aircraft on the route.