Starting from March 1st JAL Airlines (Japan) realizing Moscow-Tokyo flights increases ticket prices explaining this by growing fuel cost. According to experts, rates will increase from $850 to $1025. Flights to the same destination from Aeroflot will also increase in price – from $1200 to $1280.
Therefore, even the increased tariff of JAL is $200 less than Aeroflot rate. However, the difference in price is compensated by the fact that Japanese airline realizes only two Moscow-Tokyo flights per week while Aeroflot flies seven times per week. Natalia Pushkova, Japan Department Manager of Deo Travel Company, commented: ‘there is a shortage of flights to Tokyo by JAL Airlines as the route is very popular not only with tourists traveling to Japan but also with those going to Bali’.
According to Andrey Kolodia, Commercial Representative of JAL in Russia, in June the company plans to increase the number of flights from Sheremetievo-2 to three flights per week. Besides, he pointed out that it could be problematic to obtain slots in Moscow airport due to the intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Japan, which specifies the number of flights realized by each airline.
Furthermore, Sheremetevo Press Service commented on the situation as follows: ‘In general, our relations with other airlines is a commercial secret. But in the situation with JAL the number of flights they have at the moment is optimal. If there were a need in more flights they would have already launched them’.
Meanwhile, some travel market players do not consider the increase in ticket price to be a problem. ‘Aeroflot flies every day. The increased price will not affect flights load’, said Denis Nadezhdin, Manager of Varvarka Travel.
