OREANDA-NEWS. On 16 April 2008 was announced, that UTair is continuing to develop its route network from St. Petersburg.

In addition to its traditional regular service from St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport to Kazan, Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, Ufa, Surgut, Syktyvkar and Sochi, it has added flights to the cities of Yekaterinburg and Arkhangelsk to its summer schedule.

UTair’s clients will enjoy the same advantages on the new routes as on the old ones. For example, they will be able to save money by buying return tickets in advance. Students will still be eligible to apply for student discounts and special tariffs for pensioners as well as passenger groups will continue.

The incentive frequent flyer program STATUS offers UTair’s customers free tickets in exchange for points awarded to STATUS members for each UTair flight, as well as a number of other bonuses.

UTair is one of Russia’s biggest air carriers, boasting the largest route network in the country. UTair’s aircraft fleet makes over 250 passenger flights every day. In 2008, the company expects to maintain its transportation growth rates: 4 million passengers are expected to fly with the airline , up 34 percent from 2007. In addition, 20 new routes will be introduced.

According to the airline’s business plan in 2008 its airplanes and helicopters are projected to spend some 240,000 hours in the air, an increase of 20 percent from the previous year.