Last month, the Russian flag carrier Aeroflot further expanded its hub at Moscow Sheremyetevo (SVO), as it launched two EU-bound routes. On 26 March, the airline inaugurated four weekly services to Kraków (KRK), making the Polish city the seventh destination it serves with Sukhoi Superjet 100s outside of Russia.

Jacek Majchrowski, the Mayor of Kraków, said: “Kraków has lobbied for this service for years, and we expect the service to foster cultural and business links between the cities. It also brings EURO 2012 closer to Moscow, and we hope to hear more Russian on the high street.”

A day later, daily services were launched to Stuttgart, Aeroflot’s eighth German destination. The 2,000-kilometre route to Stuttgart (STR) is offered with A320s. Speaking during the launch in Stuttgart, Konstantin Pilipenko, Aeroflot’s Country Manager in Germany, commented: “The new route connects two economically important areas, offering convenient options for business, leisure and VFR traffic alike. Looking at booking patterns to date, we are confident that the project will succeed.”

Krakow was last connected with Moscow by LOT in 1990, while Aeroflot’s Stuttgart route faces indirect competition from germanwings’ four weekly flights to Moscow Vnukovo.

(Anna Aero)