Heathrow's second largest operator in bid for the lucrative London - Moscow travel market
bmi, which has more slots at Heathrow than any other airline except BA, has introduced a daily service to Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. The operation is in partnership with Russian airline Transaero, effectively providing twice daily flights.
Operated by an Airbus A320, the Moscow flight features a specially developed product offering, setting new standards in the market. A new style business class seat with a 41-inch seat pitch”compared to BA”s 34-inch and Aeroflot”s 38-inch”is fitted in the business cabin. bmi says that personal touches and a level of comfort and service delivery normally associated with long-haul travel help ensure that the product provides a superior in-flight experience to that of the competition.
These include a pre-take-off drinks service of champagne or orange juice, a choice of quality food and complimentary drinks, and a personal in-flight entertainment player offering the latest films, TV and audio.
bmi CEO Nigel Turner said: ”This is a significant milestone for bmi as it marks a move into a new market, giving us the opportunity to further develop and grow our route network from Heathrow. The launch of services to Moscow has allowed us to introduce a new in-flight concept and competitive fares which offer the passenger unrivalled levels of service and value for money.”
One benefit of the arrangement with Transaero is that it allows bmi to offer onward connections in the Russian Federation. Moscow Domodedovo is without doubt currently the best Moscow airport with a direct rail service to the city. Most international carriers have transferred from Sheremetyevo although route rival Aeroflot still uses the airport built for the 1980 Olympics. British Airways also flies direct to Domodedovo from Heathrow. Transaero”s Gatwick service has been discontinued.