Monday, May 27, 2024 Rossiya Airlines, based in St Petersburg, has revealed its intention to launch international flights connecting Vladivostok and Shanghai. This development was reported by the Russian news agency Interfax. The airline plans to operate this new route thrice weekly using the domestically manufactured Sukhoi Superjet SSJ-100 aircraft.
Covering a distance of 1,018 miles (1,628 kilometers), the flight duration is anticipated to be approximately three hours and thirty minutes. Rossiya Airlines already offers regular services from Vladivostok to Harbin, China. Flight services between Vladivostok (VVO) and Shanghai (PVG) were halted following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rossiya Airlines is set to introduce new flights on this route, competing with S7 Airlines from Siberia, which has been operating twice-weekly flights since April 2024. Notably, Chinese carrier Juneyao Airlines canceled its plans to launch direct flights between Shanghai and Vladivostok earlier in 2024 due to low ticket demand. In another development, Aurora Airlines has announced new flights from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Beijing, starting on June 11, 2024.
Rossiya Airlines, celebrating its 90th anniversary in May 2024, operates a fleet of 136 aircraft, serving destinations across Russia and internationally, including Istanbul, Antalya, Dubai, Sharm el-Sheikh, Colombo, Harbin, Havana, and Varadero. The airline has been seeking new international routes due to the reduction of its network followi.