"Gomelavia" resumes air service between Vitebsk and Kaliningrad

May 20, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. Gomelavia is resuming air service between Vitebsk and Kaliningrad from Vitebsk Airport, as reported to BELTA correspondent by Sergey Ruris, head of the Vitebsk branch of RUE Belarocnavigatsia. The first passenger flight on this route is scheduled for June 7. The ability to cover the distance between the Belarusian and Russian cities in just 1 hour and 25 minutes is in demand among Vitebsk residents, noted Sergey Ruris. One of the main advantages of air travel over rail transport is that citizens do not need to obtain a Schengen visa to cross the Republic of Lithuania, and the procedure for issuing travel documents is as simple as possible. However, for various reasons, at the end of 2008, the airline suspended flights on this route from Vitebsk Airport. According to Sergey Ruris, the one-way airfare will be around 80 euros. For the summer period, Gomelavia plans to operate one flight per week on Sundays. The route will be served by an An-24 aircraft, which can carry 48 passengers. Vitebsk aviators are also working to promote this route in the markets of Russian regions adjacent to the Vitebsk region. The attractiveness of the route, for example, for residents of the Smolensk region is due to the proximity of Vitebsk Airport compared to other Russian air hubs, as well as the maximally simplified procedure for issuing travel documents. At the same time, the ticket price is the same for all categories of air passengers. If you travel to Vitebsk by private car, the airport guarantees its safety until the owner's return. In addition, the possibilities of opening regular air service from Vitebsk Airport to Moscow and to the southern regions of Russia (Simferopol, Sochi) are being explored. Negotiations on the possibility of servicing these routes are underway with Russian and Italian airlines. Preliminary agreements on this were reached at the international forum "Investment Initiatives of the Vitebsk Region" in March of this year. Vitebsk Airport is located 10 km southeast of Vitebsk. The enterprise provides intra-republican air service, handles charter domestic and international passenger and cargo transportation. The airport is also in demand for transit flights of business aviation. In 1996, the airport received international status, it is suitable for operating aircraft of the Il-76, Tu-154, Boeing-737 and Boeing-757-200, A-310-200 types.