Nordwind Airlines halved the frequency of flights from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don. The reduction took place at the end of November.
The company's flight frequency on this route has been reduced from two to one flight per day. Since the end of November, only evening roundtrip flights have been available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays (departure at 4:30 PM Moscow time, 7:30 PM from Rostov-on-Don), while morning flights have been available on other days of the week (8:05 AM from Moscow, 11:15 AM from Rostov-on-Don). The reduction applies to all ticket sales until the end of March, according to Aviablogger.com.
"On December 7, all airlines in Rostov-on-Don will transfer their flights to a new airport. This may be the reason we're seeing a decline in passenger traffic on this route. As a result, we've decided to maintain one daily flight and monitor the situation. We're prepared to increase the number of flights if the market demands it," Nordwind Airlines told Aviablogger.com.
Nordwind's flight cuts are one of the first signs of doubts among Rostov-on-Don passengers about the prospects of flying from the new airport. Nordwind sells some of the most affordable tickets on the Rostov route, and its passengers are likely uneasy about the prospect of paying a taxi to the new airport comparable to airfare. It's worth noting that the public transportation situation to the new airport, even from Rostov-on-Don itself, remains largely unclear just two days before its launch, and no transportation has been scheduled from cities in the region or neighboring regions.
It's possible that the uncertainty surrounding the new airport's opening date, which persisted for some time (it's worth noting that it ultimately opens for scheduled flights on December 7), could have also impacted demand. Under these circumstances, many passengers may have opted for the numerous ground transportation options on the Moscow-Rostov-on-Don route, between which approximately fifteen trains and a comparable number of buses operate daily.
Another factor influencing the cancellation of half of Nordwind's flights could have been the cost of servicing airlines at the new airport, which, in some respects, has increased two to four times compared to the existing Rostov-on-Don airport. A report from the new airport terminal and a photo gallery can be found here.
Source: travel.ru