Sakhalin Airlines, Korean Air sign memorandum
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK. Sept 26 (Interfax) - Sakhalin Airlines (SAT) and Korean Air signed a memorandum of understanding in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Wednesday.
The memo was signed by SAT General Director Konstantin Sukhorebrik and Korean Air President Chi Chang Hun. On the basis of this memorandum, the airlines plan to sign a codeshare agreement on joint flight operations.
"I hope the signed document brings new life to the good neighborly relations between Russia's Far East region and the Republic of Korea," Sukhorebrik said.
"Thanks to the cooperation between our companies I think demand for flights between Russia's Far East and Korea will grow. I hope we can agree on codeshare flights between our companies. In addition, our airlines can work together in technical and ground handling and staff training," Chang Hun said.
After the signing ceremony, Sukhorebrik told the press said a codeshare agreement envisages mutual passenger transfer commitments between airlines.
"There is tough competition between airlines around the world and between airline alliances," he said. "Korean Air is part of the Sky Team alliance, to which our shareholder - Aeroflot also belongs. On behalf of Aeroflot we will carry this interaction in Russia's Far East within the alliance," he said.
A codeshare deal would enable SAT to sell customers tickets to anywhere in the world that Korean Air flies to as part of the Sky Team alliance. SAT flights between Seoul and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk will have a joint code with Korean Air - HZ\KE, and Korean Air flights flying out from Seoul to Bangkok, Singapore and others will also have this code.
The agreement will enable partners to sell tickets for each other's codeshare flights.
Codeshare deals enable airlines to cut ticket costs and passengers can use joint discount systems and so on, Sukhorebrik said.
SAT was established in 1993. It currently has three Boeing-737, six DHC-8 (two of which serve offshore projects) two