OREANDA-NEWS. July 09, 2012. Moscow Domodedovo Airport, together with the travel company TUI Russia & CIS and Kolavia, has held a joint press conference marking the launch of tour-operator-branded flights in Russia. The event, which brought together over 40 representatives of the major tourist and air transport media, was held on board of Airbus A321 in the livery of TUI. The new service is available to passengers of the largest airport in Russia – Domodedovo – the share of travel market in the passenger traffic structure of which is 30%.

‘ The proposed business model is one of the options for the future development of the travel market in Russia, - said Vladimir Kamynin, Marketing Director of Moscow Domodedovo Airport. - We try to progressively move away from the usual charter flights in favor of the regular service. Cooperation between the tour operator TUI, Kolavia airlines and Moscow Domodedovo Airport provides the control of the service during the entire trip. Together we will create a quality of service, which motivates tourists to come back to us again and again.’

The concept implemented by the tour operator makes it possible to introduce international standards of service at every stage of servicing tourists, from buying the tour and the first step on board of an aircraft to returning home. The tour operator has chosen Kolavia as its partner in the new business model. The latter has rebranded three Airbuses A321 in accordance with European standards of TUI. In particular, the airline staff have been trained under the guidance of coaches from the UK, they have redesigned the uniform of the cabin crew, changed the design of snack boxes and the assortment of food and beverages, as well as the aircrafts’ livery, the fuselage and tail section of which now bear the characteristic TUI-brand smile.

Kolavia is to operate the most of the charter flights of TUI Russia & CIS in the most popular destinations among the Russians, including Egypt, Turkey, Spain, Croatia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece. In the future, under the TUI-branded aircrafts will perform long-haul charter flights.

TUI Russia & CIS (www.tui.ru, www.corp.tui.ru) is a joint venture between TUI Travel PLC, a leading international travel company, and the Russian investment company "S-Group Capital Management", created on April 15, 2009 based on VKO Group, Mostravel, and Voyage Kiev. The companies are servicing more than 500 thousand tourists a year, working in 20 destinations, including about 200 agencies. In April 2011, TUI Russia & CIS has acquired 75% stake in the company "Svoy Travel Group" specializing in the organization of tourist services in Russia.