Chugach From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 1041 posts, RR: 3 Posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 2053 times:
No link, but in today's Anchorage Daily News there's a tidbit with the following:
Yuzhno-bound flights to begin.
Direct flights from Anchorage to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk will start in August, said Russia Jet Direct, a Seattle-based startup carrier. The carrier said it will start offering scheduled public charter flights through Ryan International Airlines on a Boeing 757. The flights are to start in Houston, stop in Anchorage, and then continue to Yuzhno. Fore more information, contact Russia Jet Direct at 1-815-386-3140.
Clickhappy From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 9444 posts, RR: 72 Reply 2, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1961 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
wasn't the N7 operating cert. going to be used for something like this?
AirScoot From United States of America, joined May 2005, 688 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 1932 times:
Chugach From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 1041 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 1907 times:
Air charter service to Russia back on track
New backer revives plan to provide quick service between Anchorage and Sakhalin
By Tim Bradner
Alaska Journal of Commerce
Russia Jet Direct hopes to finally get its proposed weekly air service between Alaska and Sakhalin, Russia, off the ground by August and has hired the former chief pilot for Reeve Aleutian Airlines as its operations manager.
The company had planned to begin service last year but was unable to get enough advance bookings, which was critical to start-up financing under its previous business plan.
That shouldn't be a problem now, said Sabrina Ford, president of the Seattle-based company. Rubloff Group of Rockford Ill., operator of several aviation businesses, has taken a majority stake in Russia Jet Direct and has the financial strength to get the new air service launched effectively.
"Rubloff has the depth, the will and the assets to come alongside our expertise to make the air bridge to Sakhalin a reality," Ford said.
Rubloff will make a Boeing 757 available to Russia Jet Direct, which will operate scheduled public charter flights through Ryan International, a subsidiary of Rubloff. Ryan is a FAR Part 121 certificated international air carrier. It was acquired by Rubloff in August 2004.
Ford said Russia Jet Direct has also hired Phil Bray, former chief pilot for Reeve Aleutian Airlines, as its vice president of operations. Bray will be based in Anchorage.
Through Russia Jet Direct, Ryan will operate a Boeing 757 configured in business and "comfort class" service in a weekly service from Houston and Anchorage to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the major city in Sakhalin.
"Our experience and contacts in Russia and the oil patch will provide our customers a level of service that will ensure our longevity in the market," Bray said.
The aircraft will have 28 business class and 144 comfort-class seats, Ford said. Comfort Class is less expensive than business class but the seats are larger than typical economy-class seats on commercial airlines.
In its initial effort to launch the service in 2004, the company was planning to use a smaller 737-800 that would have carried 144 passengers. The 757 that will now be used will carry 172.
U.S.-based companies operating in Sakhalin now fly personnel on commercial airlines through Tokyo and Seoul, which takes 20 hours from Alaska and 30 hours from Houston. Russia Jet Direct will be get passengers from Houston to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 15 hours and from Anchorage to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in six hours.
Major western oil producers are heavily engaged in Sakhalin projects. An international consortium led by Shell Oil is building a liquefied natural gas project and pipeline. Another consortium, led by Exxon Mobil Corp., is developing offshore gas fields and plans pipelines to the Russian mainland.
Several Alaska oil service companies, such as Veco Alaska and Arctic Slope Energy Corp. are now working in Sakhalin, and other Alaska firms will be able to compete once direct air service is available, said Greg Wolf, director of the World Trade Center Alaska.
Tim Bradner can be reached at tim.bradner@alaskajournal.com
2travel2know From Panama, joined Apr 2005, 3580 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 1863 times:
Is there enough traffic from Eastern Siberia and Northern Japan to the USA to make AS think about flights from ANC to cities like Vladivostok and Sapporo?
AS739X From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 5819 posts, RR: 23 Reply 7, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 1839 times:
2travel2know, No....AS will not be back in Alaska anytime soon. The Russian economy sunk and as well did their service. Its also not the safest of flight. I have heard horror stories from pilots that flew those routes. Sapporo I think is out of the range of the 73G if I remember correctly (with alt. fuel). Another problem with eastern Russia flights is the lack of alternate airfields. Most new service to that area will be like your seeing with Ryan, charter stuff!
ASSFO
"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"
Chugach From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 1041 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1759 times:
Quoting AS739X (Reply 7): 2travel2know, No....AS will not be back in Alaska anytime soon. The Russian economy sunk and as well did their service. Its also not the safest of flight. I have heard horror stories from pilots that flew those routes. Sapporo I think is out of the range of the 73G if I remember correctly (with alt. fuel). Another problem with eastern Russia flights is the lack of alternate airfields. Most new service to that area will be like your seeing with Ryan, charter stuff!
AS won't be back in Alaska anytime soon? Hmmm. Haha.
If you don't mind sharing, what exactly were some of the pilot horror stories? I've heard the term "horror story" before in regards to Russian service on AS but never heard any specifics.
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31117 posts, RR: 74 Reply 10, posted (7 years 10 months 4 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1736 times:
Quoting AS739X (Reply 7): Sapporo I think is out of the range of the 73G if I remember correctly (with alt. fuel).
While I don't how what the local wind/weather conditions would affect the route, CTS-ANC is within a 73G w/ winglets range. Not sure if a non-winglet plane can make the route.
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 1041 posts, 
From Venezuela, joined Jan 2005, 5857 posts, 
From Panama, joined Apr 2005, 3580 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31117 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
