Russian airline Aeroflot will begin operating flights from Goa to Moscow on November 2. The airline now operates an Airbus A330 on a twice-weekly Moscow-Delhi-Moscow route.
According to an airline statement, the Goa to Moscow flights will operate every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, with 268 seats in economy and 28 in business class.
The new routes will also provide a 30 ton weekly freight capacity from India to Russia and the CIS nations.
“Goa is a popular tourist destination among Russians. We are starting our three-times-a-week flights on the Moscow-Goa-Moscow route. It marks the expansion of our Indian services in response to customer demand,” said Korolev Oleg K, head of cargo at Aeroflot.
Goa is a key route for Russian carriers as the peak travel period approaches, with a sizable Russian population making up the majority of tourists visiting the beach city.
“(As) most of the airlines are still not flying to Russia due to various sanctions. It is affecting the cargo supply chain from the western region. Aeroflot flights from Goa will help bridge this gap. Weekly flights from Goa will further enhance and streamline the supply chain both for the pharmaceutical sector and other goods industries,” said Naveen Rao, Director at Delmos Aviation, which manages the cargo sales and bookings for Aeroflot in India.