Week of May 17, 2012
| Russia's Aeroflot plans Miami route By Scott BlakeMiami and Moscow soon may have one more thing in common. Russian airline Aeroflot is tentatively planning nonstop flights between the two cities starting in late October. Aeroflot would be only the second carrier to offer nonstop service between Miami and Russia. Transaero Airlines currently operates twice-weekly nonstop flights from Moscow's Domodedovo airport to Miami International Airport. The Aeroflot roundtrip flights would be three times a week on an Airbus 330 200-passenger jet. Details of the new flights, including flight numbers and schedules, are listed on some travel industry websites. Aeroflot previously served Miami International more than a decade ago. In the last two years, the airline has experienced growth rates of more than 25%, statistics show. Aeroflot appears to be reinstating the Miami flights to capitalize on South Florida's growing Russian population, including more affluent Russians clustering in communities such as Sunny Isles, said Mitch Rodriguez, a manager at Brickell Travel Management, a Miami travel agency. "There's a big Russian community here, so I'm sure they will do well," he said about Aeroflot. Aeroflot has put a hold on selling seats on the Moscow-Miami flights, apparently until details of the service are worked out, he said. Currently, one-way fares for the flights start between $800 and $900. The airline plans to sell the seats in a two-class configuration, economy and business, he said. The flights are tentatively to begin Oct. 30, according to the Centre for Aviation, an industry news website. The flights reportedly will operate Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Officials at Miami International are waiting to finalize the new service before making an announcement. Telephone calls to Aeroflot's New York office were not returned. To read the entire issue of Miami Today online, subscribe to e -Miami Today, an exact digital replica of the printed edition. |
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