Czech Airlines plans to fly more routes to Russia, the Interfax news agency reported Monday, even as other international airlines cut services to the country due to a slump in demand.
The Czech national carrier will add one additional weekly flight from Prague to the Russian cities of St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don and Samara starting this winter, the company said in a statement cited by Interfax.
The decision to increase the frequency of the flights was driven by the improving demand for travels between Russia and the Czech Republic, Czech Airlines commercial director Yan Tot said in the statement.
“We are seeing stabilization and consolidation of the market in Russia, as well as the gradual change to the negative trend in demand for flights to the Czech Republic, which fell sharply last year,” he said.
The demand for international air travel in Russia plummeted following a sharp devaluation of the ruble late last year, which made it more expensive for Russians to vacation abroad.
To keep passengers on its flights, Czech Airlines has cut the cost of tickets for Russian travelers by 20-25 percent since the beginning of this year, according to Interfax.
The slump in demand has forced a number of international airlines to reduce or end routes to and from Russia.
Among the latest to curtail flights is German budget airline Air Berlin, which said last week it would stop flying to Russia next year.
