Boeing jets to reduce Belavia’s ticket prices

The new Boeing 737-800 aircraft will allow the Belarusian air carrier Belavia to reduce ticket prices, BelTA learned from Belavia Director General Anatoly Gusarov on 26 June after the company signed an agreement with Boeing on buying three Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Belavia’s head said: “We plan to use the new aircraft for the most popular tourist directions such as Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and Spain. They will allow greatly reducing the cost of air travels for passengers”.

Anatoly Gusarov remarked that the new aircraft are highly effective as far as fuel consumption is concerned. The new aircraft will reduce the cost of transportation by air. With the lower ticket prices that passengers will have to pay the economy of every flight will look rather positively, added the executive.

Once Belavia receives the three Boeing 737-800 jets, the air carrier intends to phase out Tu-154 aircraft. At present the latter are in use and meet all the modern European safety requirements. The aircraft are now used only for charter flights, including to Bulgaria and Greece. Tu-154 aircraft are used in the airports in Minsk, Brest, Gomel, and Vitebsk. For instance, in Gomel the aircraft pick up passengers, who work at oil and gas installations in Western Siberia.

Belavia will buy the Boeing 737-800 jets directly. The contract specifies the delivery of the aircraft in 2017. However, the air carrier has asked Boeing to reduce the waiting time as much as possible. “There is hope it will be accomplished,” added the Director General.

Belavia is the largest air carrier in Belarus by the number of passengers and cargoes it transports. The company operates 26 aircraft. In late January 2014 the company was reincorporated as a public joint-stock company. Based in the National Airport Minsk, Belavia offers regular flights to over 40 destinations in Europe and Asia. Belavia’s services meet the highest international safety standards. In January-May 2014 Belavia carried over 522,500 passengers, 16.8% up from January-May 2013.