BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/03/2007

Opening of Baku-Minsk Flight Results in Cheaper Flights from Azerbaijan to Belarus - AZAL General Representative

Belarus, Minsk / corr Trend R.Agayev / The opening of a direct flight between Baku and Minsk has resulted in cheaper flight fares from Azerbaijan to Belarus.

Eldar Hajiyev, General Representative of Azerbaijan State Air Company AZAL in the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus, stated on 8 March at the opening ceremony of the flight that whereas previously passengers were able to utilize the transit flights Baku-Moscow-Minsk and Baku-Kiev-Minsk, they now they have the opportunity to fly directly from Baku to Minsk.

Previously flights to Minsk either from Moscow or Kiev cost $400. Tickets for the Baku-Minsk flights are now $200-250. Traveling time has also been reduced from flights to Minsk taking approximately 3 hours as opposed to the 7-8 hours previously. Flights between the two capital cities will run once a week - one by AZAL of Azerbaijan and one by Belavia of Belarus," he reported.

"However, taking into consideration the unregistered number of Azerbaijanis in that country, one can state with confidence that their total number is 16,000-17,000 people, the Ambassador urged.

Source:

http://news.trendaz.com/cgi-bin/readnews2.pl?newsId=895481&lang=EN