OREANDA-NEWS. March 31, 2010.  The commission from the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in Primorsky krai has finished consideration of the case submitted under the reference of the Ministry of Youth policy, Sports and Tourism of Khabarovsky krai which accused the airline of setting too high tariffs for rendering of air services from the Khabarovsk airport.

When considering of the instant case OFAS commission in particular has established that:

— Vladivostok Air OJSC tariffs on the given routes are considerably lower than recommended maximum tariffs by IATA. Working out at them the company considered current situation in the air service market taking into account economic-political and socially-demographic tendencies in the region, the population solvency, and also the level of the airline own costs.

— Vladivostok Air OJSC tariffs on the given routes have decreased according to the results of 9 months of 2009 by 10% in comparison with the similar period of 2008;

— Vladivostok Air OJSC, adhering IATA recommendations and having a private experience of tourist streams formation, practices publication of the group fares, which levels are below than normal fares of an economy class by 40–70%;

— Considering tour operators and Khabarovsky krai agencies wishes, with a view of stimulation the demand in crisis, the airline has introduced additional discounts to fares, including group fares: 10–15% discount for groups from 5–10 the person and more; 50–80% discount for heads of groups;

— All discounts have been registered and published according to the current legislation of the Russian Federation and are accessible to application by any agent of Vladivostok Air OJSC;

— The Vladivostok Air OJSC tariff policy on the international routes from Khabarovsk and Vladivostok is comparable, infringement of Khabarovsk people rights, as it was declared, is absent (fare levels are identical);

Summing up all aforesaid, the commission of Primorsky OFAS has come to a conclusion that established during the period from January 1st till December 31st 2009 fare level on air service of Vladivostok Air OJSC from the Khabarovsk airport on routes to Niigata, Seoul, Harbin, Beijing does not exceed the sum of expenses necessary for manufacture and realization of air passengers service and, accordingly, is not exclusively high price. In connection with absence of antitrust offence the legal investigation is stopped.

By this decision FAS has put an end in purposeful campaign for discredit of Vladivostok Air OJSC in Khabarovsky krai, organized by a number of participants of the Khabarovsk tourist’s market which by the unreasonable charges try to enlist mass-media, and to mislead regional authorities and tourist’s industry associations.

Nevertheless, Vladivostok Air OJSC continues constructive cooperation with tour operators of Khabarovsky krai on development of existing international routes and new directions from Khabarovsk and Vladivostok to the capital ports of Japan and the PRC: Narita and Beijing.