Bangkok-bound flights from Ulan-Ude fly almost fully loaded

This winter season Buryatia’s citizens were offered direct flight to Thailand for the first time. The Ulan-Ude – Bangkok flights have been organized by tour operator Pegas Touristik. According to the company’s chairman and the region’s travel agents, the first flights, unlike a first pancake, were not a throw-away. Despite some unoccupied seats on the planes en-route to Thailand sometimes cause last-minute offers (around $950 for 12 nights, BB, 3-star for two people), the market players don’t complain about the demand. On the contrary, they consider it stable with a good depth of sales. “The flights from Ulan-Ude to Bangkok fly almost fully loaded, and the New Year is already sold out” – Director General of Pegas Touristik Ms. Anna Podgornaya revealed to RATA-news.

According to the head of Tri Kita Company Ms. Erzhena Dalaeva, there are bookings for near dates as well as for departures a couple of months away. None of the region’s travel trade players has any doubts that the program will be carried out without any serious problems with the flights’ occupancy. “We have been waiting for it for a long time” – says tourism manager of Ulan-Ude’s Siberia Tour Company Mr. Bator Nimayev – “previously tourist didn’t have a choice – they had to fly to their holiday destinations from Irkutsk, which is a 5-hour drive away. Combined with the flights it’s quite a tiresome journey”. As per the local specialists’ observations the demand for Bangkok-bound tours has moved to itineraries starting in Ulan-Ude. Some tourist choose to fly from Irkutsk only if they are not all right with the dates of flights from Buryatia’s capital.

However some problems couldn’t be avoided. Ulan-Ude airport authorities responsible for servicing international flights have never had to deal with that many passengers. It took over five hours for the tourists, who came back to Ulan-Ude on November 10^th, to undergo the passport control. The second plane that arrived on November 23^rd was processed faster – in “just” three hours. Travel companies have to warn their customers about such “specialties” of the airport.

The service to Bangkok to Ulan-Ude runs every 13 days. The flights are operated by Nor Wind airline’s Boeing-757-200. The operator’s program features another 13 flights; the last one is scheduled to depart on May 11^th. If all the flights leave Ulan-Ude with full load, over 3500 people will be able visit Thailand. Travel agents are sure that the “direct Thailand” came to stay on the market. Furthermore they expect to be sending their tourists on direct flights to Turkey next summer. “Direct charter flights from Ulan-Ude definitely have a point” – belives Nadezhda Rouban – “but, I think, it’s still too early to talk about visa destinations”.

Pegas’s management is also satisfied with the demand for tours to Thailand departing from Buryatia’s capital. “Even though some special offers do take place on the destination, the prices are not out of line – quite affordable, but not lossmaking” – says Ms. Podgornaya to RATA-news – “For the first time, especially when the demand is, as to say, weather-dependent, it goes good”. Anna Podgornaya also said that the Buryatia’s regional agencies’ expectations are to come true when the tour operator launches direct flights from Ulan-Ude to Turkey’s Antalya.