OREANDA-NEWS. February 19, 2010. Official delegation of Niigata prefecture led by the Vice-Governor Oguma Hirosi has visited Vladivostok Air airline. For some time past it has been already the second visit of such a representative delegation to Primorsky krai. The first one was held on November 18-19th, 2009. At that time the Japanese delegation was represented by the Mayor Synod Akira and the Vice-President of Niigata city assembly Sato Yukio. At the meeting they discussed cooperation matters in the course of preparation for celebrating of the 150 anniversary of Vladivostok city and holding the APEC Summit-2012. The new visit has been devoted to discussion of the further cooperation development and interaction between the prefecture and the airline in sphere of the international air service.

During the meeting with the airline delegation at the head of acting manager of Executive Vice Director of Vladivostok Air OJSC Dmitry Tyshchuk the Japanese party in the person of Vice-Governor Oguma Hirosi has highly appreciated Vladivostok Air work on realization of the regular flight connection Vladivostok — Niigata and Khabarovsk — Niigata. According to Oguma Hirosi estimate, these routes were and will be always in great favor, both Japanese and Russian tourists. The Niigata prefecture plans to make further efforts on increase of passenger traffic at these directions in close partnership with Vladivostok Air.

In the course of negotiations representatives of both parties have expressed concern on passenger traffic stabilization from Far Eastern cities to Niigata city. Vladivostok Air part noticed that since February 5th the airline has made the next decrease of the fares by 15% for air transportation from Far Eastern cities to Japan. The Japanese party informed about a discount introduction to the cost of hotel rooms at a rate of 2000 yens, using the funds of prefecture and expressed about commitments to compensate a part of the airport expenses.

The parties have agreed that these measures should lead to preservation and further raising passenger traffic from Far Eastern cities to Japan and back. For realization of such serious program it was created the executive committee in Niigata prefecture including representatives of administration, transport, business and large travel companies of prefecture. Vladivostok Air company has expressed its readiness to respond actively to the measures accepted from outside of the executive committee in the area of an intensification of passenger air transportations.

Oguma Hirosi welcomed steps undertaken by Vladivostok Air even in the autumn of 2009 on introduction of week-end fares, special discounts for mountain skiers on directions to Niigata from Vladivostok and Khabarovsk and also general reduction in fares on routes to Japan by 15%. In his opinion, all these measures have allowed to support passenger traffic between Niigata prefecture and the Russian Far East during so uneasy time for the aviation industry.

Representatives of Vladivostok Air OJSC delegation and Niigata prefectures also have reached an agreement about full informing of the Russian and Japanese tour operators about available possibilities of our regions for tourism. The information that the airline has organized a study trip in December 2009 for representatives of the largest Far Eastern tour agencies and the journalists whose purpose were to visit one of the popular Japanese mounting skiing resorts has been apprehended positively.

In conclusion of the meeting both parties have confirmed the steady purpose about interaction in the international air transportations field in a view of creating condition for the further development of business, cultural and tourist communications between Niigata prefecture and the Russian Far East.