easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, has today been awarded the rights to fly between Gatwick Airport and Moscow from Spring 2013. easyJet will operate an Airbus A320 on two services a day between London Gatwick and Moscow Domodedovo airport. Each aircraft will have 180 seats and easyJet expects to fly over 230,000 passengers in its first year of operations.
Henry Smith, local Crawley MP, commented:
“This is a very positive development for Crawley and further underpins Gatwick’s emergence as London’s business airport. A second Gatwick air link with Moscow, a key emerging market, will help strengthen the Crawley economy and strengthen our town’s reputation as an ideal location for businesses to relocate to.
“I welcome the common sense decision by the Civil Aviation Authority. Gatwick has the existing capacity, with the ability for an extra eleven million more passengers to pass through its gates each year, to facilitate such a new link and is in contrast to Heathrow Airport which is currently operating at 98 per cent capacity.
“Studies show that our trade often increases by some twenty times with new air links to emerging markets and that there is potential for £1.2 billion worth of new investment every year into the United Kingdom.”
A popular destination from both the tourism and business perspective, Russia has a fast growing economy as well as a rich cultural heritage. Fares will start from as little £125 return - compared to current fares of over £1000 for an economy ticket - and will be on sale in the coming weeks on www.easyJet.com. The four hour flights are not much longer than many of easyJet’s routes to the eastern Mediterranean.