New Delhi (Sputnik): India has a feasible scenario for the expansion of aviation opportunities in the region and both India and Russia can together work towards a better realization of such opportunities, feels India's minister of commerce.
"India is full of opportunities for the expanding aviation industry and both India and Russia can together work to change the present aviation scenario," said Union Minister for Commerce Suresh Prabhu on the occasion of 60 years of Aeroflot's operations in India.
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At the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Indian Operations of Aeroflot, India's minister for commerce, Suresh Prabhu called Indo-Russian relations "time-tested" and "built on mutual trust."
The first regular flight between Moscow and Delhi took place on August 18, 1958 via a Tu-104.
"India was Aeroflot's first country in Southeast Asia, and since then Aeroflot has operated the Moscow-Delhi route without a break. Aeroflot's legacy of six decades of partnership, six decades of connecting the respective capital cities, six decades of bringing Russia and India closer together is something Aeroflot is proud of and look forward to continuing to build upon," Sergey Kidisyuk, General Manager of Aeroflot India said welcoming the guests for the evening.
Russia's flagship carrier operates two daily flights between Moscow and Delhi using modern and comfortable Airbus A330 aircraft. Aeroflot flights on the Moscow-Delhi route are in high demand. From 2000-2017, passenger traffic between the two capitals amounted to 2.45 million travelers.
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In the spring of 2016, passenger traffic increased sharply following the launch of the second daily flight. The year 2017 was a record-setter for the Moscow-Delhi route: Aeroflot carried almost 290,000 passengers, a 50% year-on-year increase, he added.
Aeroflot management informed the gathering that they aim to further increase transit traffic between Europe and Asia.
Passengers choose Russia's leading airline to travel from Delhi to destinations in Russia and Europe and Aeroflot's competitive advantages are competitive fares, high-quality service, and convenient transit via the airline's hub at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.