First ever Routes CIS opens its doors
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Kharkiv, Ukraine, 7 June 2010: Routes has just opened the first ever Routes CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) in Kharkiv, Ukraine. More than 40 airlines and 100 airports have gathered at the event, which is hosted by Kharkiv International Airport. Leigh Turner, British Ambassador to Ukraine; Borys Kolesnikov, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for Euro-2012 Affairs; Vladimir Seminozhenko, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, and Gennadiy Kernes, Secretary of Kharkiv City Council & Acting Mayor of Kharkiv and further high-profile delegates are all in attendance to talk about how to access the CIS market, demonstrating the importance of route development.
The three-day event offers airlines, airports and tourism authorities the perfect platform to discuss their network development plans in this up and coming market. Mike Howarth, Chairman of Routes, comments: “It will aid the industry in discovering the region’s potential; with the present and planned growth, the CIS region holds significant opportunities for companies involved in the air service development arena of the future.”
An impressive array of CIS carriers are in attendance, including UT Air, Georgian Airways, S7 Airlines, Red Wings Airlines, AZAL, Avianova. But also numerous European airlines show an interest in accessing the region, such as airBaltic, Wizz Air – Ukraine, Ryanair, Finnair, Turkish Airlines and Malev Hungarian Airlines.
Airports present at the event include: Boryspil International Airport, Minsk National Airport, Katowice Airport, Novosibirsk International Airport Tolmachevo, Perm Airport, Sheremetyevo International Airport, Rostov-on-Don International Airport, Yakutsk International Airport and Zaporozhye Airport.
Routes CIS marks the opening of a brand-new terminal at Kharkiv International Airport, which is part of a large-scale reconstruction project that began in 2008 and will be completed by August this year. Alexander Yaroslavskiy, President of DCH (the Development Construction Holding Group in Ukraine) & General Investor and Coordinator of Kharkiv Preparation to EURO-2012, has invested in the airport and further infrastructure in the city, gearing up for the European Football Championship in 2012. As one of the host cities, Kharkiv is aiming to afford all visiting fans and players a unique travel experience.
All 250 Routes CIS attendees will have the chance to see the new development first-hand, as it is the first time a Routes event is being held in the actual airport terminal.
Over the three days, the event will play host to all of the features that delegates have come to expect from Routes events, including formal and informal networking opportunities. The delegates will also be invited to attend the Routes CIS Strategy Forum, which will take the format of two moderator-led panel discussions addressing topical air service development issues for the CIS region and a workshop led by ASM, Routes’ official consultants. The Strategy Forum will be addressing the opportunities and challenges for growth of air services in the CIS states, the cooperation between airlines and airports and the major influences in the airline decision making process.
Ryanair will be undertaking an Airline Requirement Briefing on Monday. The carrier will brief airports on how it approaches route development and what it expects to receive in a proposal from an airport.
Routes CIS will become the region’s annual route development forum. To find out more about the event, visit Routes’ official website at www.routesonline.com.
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