Is the cost of airfare to Sochi more affordable compared to Gelendzhik, and will ticket prices to the latter decrease?
In the coming months, travellers looking to visit Gelendzhik will have more options as S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines are set to introduce new flights to the popular destination, according to a forecast by Yuri Barzykin, Vice-President of the Russian Union of Tourism.
From August 5, Ural Airlines will launch flights from Yekaterinburg to Gelendzhik, joining Aeroflot Airlines, which currently serves the route. S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines are set to start their services in late July, adding to the existing flight capacity.
The increased competition and additional seat availability on routes from Moscow and other cities are expected to provide customers with more options and potentially more competitive pricing. The passenger flow to Gelendzhik is forecasted to grow by 1.5 to 2 times due to this improved air service, indicating strong demand growth that could moderate ticket price hikes despite the seasonally high travel period.
Barzykin is confident that with the introduction of new flights by airlines such as S7 and Ural Airlines, prices for tickets to Gelendzhik will gradually stabilize. However, specific details about the anticipated cost reduction or increase were not provided.
As Gelendzhik Airport prepares for the first flight from Moscow, seats for the inaugural journey are now available. While the cost of one-way air tickets to Gelendzhik currently stands at approximately 15,000 rubles, the forecast does not apply to any other destinations, and no information was provided about other airlines offering flights to Gelendzhik apart from Aeroflot, S7, and Ural Airlines.
The forecast by Barzykin does not specify a timeline for the adjustments in the cost of air tickets to Gelendzhik for flights by S7 and Ural Airlines. It is worth noting that flights to Sochi are reported to be somewhat cheaper than flights to Gelendzhik, but no further comparison was made in the forecast.
In summary, while demand is rising sharply for Gelendzhik travel, the addition of new flights from S7 and Ural Airlines is expected to improve logistics and capacity, which usually helps prevent ticket prices from escalating significantly. Thus, the expected impact is either stabilization of prices or a modest decrease relative to what prices might have been without added flights, especially during the peak summer season.
- With S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines commencing flights to Gelendzhik from late July, travelers can consider a variety of lifestyle options as these additional flights may lead to more competitive ticket pricing.
- As the number of airlines offering flights to Gelendzhik expands with the introduction of S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines, travelers seeking affordable travel destinations can potentially find attractive pricing for their jet-setting lifestyle.
