OREANDA-NEWS. Transaero Airlines General Director Olga Pleshakova and Vnukovo International Airport Chairman of Board of Directors Vitaly Vantsev have held a joint press conference at Moscow-based Vnukovo airport. Olga Pleshakova and Vitaly Vantsev have summarized the first year of co-operation and talked about the further mutual beneficial partnership between the airline and the airport.

Cooperation between Transaero and Vnukovo began in February 2012 with the signing of a Memorandum for strategic partnership, and Transaero’s first flight took off from Moscow Vnukovo Airport in April 2012. Currently Transaero operates flights from Vnukovo International Airport to eleven destinations: Paris, Rome, Milan, London, Tel Aviv, Vienna, Barcelona, Pardubice, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. In September the Transaero in-line MRO facility for Boeing 777 and Boeing 747 aircraft was opened at Vnukovo.

In order to serve its passengers through the new opportunities, Transaero is establishing a new large and modern transit center at Vnukovo and will offer its passengers excellent transfer opportunities in terms of schedule and comfort on the flights between destinations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan und Ukraine as well as destinations in the U.S. and Western Europe.

In summer 2013 Transaero will launch flights from Moscow-based Vnukovo to the U.S. cities of New York and Miami, and in Western Europe Transaero will operate flights from Vnukovo to London, Frankfurt and Venice, while also serving Tel Aviv and launching flights to Cancun in Mexico. In the C.I.S. countries Transaero will fly to Kiev, Odessa and Tashkent; and seven Kazakhstan destinations - Astana, Almaty, Aktau, Atyrau, Karaganda, Qostanay and Shymkent, will also be served. Transaero’s passengers traveling between Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia (member states of the Customs Union), will be able to take advantage of the airport’s special transit facilities and have a first class experience. In Russia, Transaero will serve from Vnukovo International Airport Krasnoyarsk and Novy Urengoy.

The recently opened Terminal A at Vnukovo provides the best conditions for the success of this ambitious program. The spacious 270,000 square meters terminal and the airport`s capacity to handle 30 million passengers per year is unique, and it is currently one the most high-tech airport terminal in Russia. The opening ceremony of the new Terminal A was held at Vnukovo International Airport on December 18, 2012, when its capacity was expanded to reach its current level.

The airport itself has got other advantages for passengers: Vnukovo International Airport has the most beneficial geographical location and, amongst the airports comprising the Moscow Air Transportation Hub, Vnukovo is located closest to the center of Moscow, merely 11 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road and only 28 kilometers separating the airfield from the heart of Moscow. For airlines operating flights to Moscow from the west and south-west Vnukovo International Airport is the closest one in comparison with other Moscow-based airports, saving 10-15 minutes flight time.

Vnukovo International Airport has the most extensive multimodal mass-transit infrastructure among the airports comprising the Moscow Air Transportation Hub connecting the Airport with the city. The airport comprises three highways and an express railway, the Vnukovo Express.

Olga Pleshakova, Transaero Airlines General Director, said: “We are pleased with the success of our partnership with Vnukovo, which is a rapidly developing airport. The unique capabilities of Terminal A at Vnukovo make it possible to create a product that fully corresponds with even the most demanding passengers’ expectations. I am sure that our passengers - who are the main reason of our partnership - will benefit from our work and will be convinced that Vnukovo and Transaero are synonymous with convenience and comfort."

Vitaly Vantsev, Chairman of Board of Directors of Vnukovo International Airport, added: “Vnukovo has moved to a new level and now has a number of advantages which make it attractive for both passengers and airlines, setting the airport apart from its competitors. I am assured that our strategic partnership is beneficial not only for Vnukovo and Transaero but also primarily for our passengers."