Aeroflot adds 14 more weekly Russian flights to Phuket
Less than two weeks after Russian airlines made their triumphant return to Phuket, Aeroflot has announced an increase in direct flights to the island. The flagship airline of Russia announced yesterday that it would be adding 14 new flights a week from Russia to Phuket.
The exact start date of these new flights has not yet been confirmed, but the expansion will include adding a third daily flight from Moscow to Phuket, adding to the 14 flights a week already scheduled between the two cities. Aeroflot will also add twice-weekly flights from Russia’s third-largest city Novosibirsk as well as from the far-east port city of Vladivostock. The airline will also add three flights a week from Siberia’s second-largest city, Krasnoyarsk, serving the over one million people living there.
The Russian Consulate in Phuket posted on social media yesterday to announce the new slate of flights, according to The Phuket News. They stated that the flights will launch sometime this month, but no exact dates were revealed.
“Aeroflot airline is increasing the volume of regular passenger flights to Phuket as part of its winter schedule. This month, the carrier is planning to expand its flight program, including [new flights] from Russian regions.”
The new flights will join the current schedule of flights from Russia, launched at the beginning of the month. Ikar Airlines flies from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow to Phuket on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday each week, along with Aeroflot’s daily flights. Siberia Airlines flies on Thursdays from Irkutsk in Siberia and on Mondays from Vladivostok and Novosibirsk.
The increase in flights has opened the floodgates of Russians pouring back into Phuket, quickly overtaking Indian tourists that were the main demographic. Between May and September, Russian tourist arrivals averaged about 3,200 to 4,200 per month. Last month that number ballooned to 23,089.
So far this month, Russia has dwarfed other demographics arriving in Phuket. Russians doubled the number of arrivals coming from India, the second biggest demographic, and more than tripled the third biggest demographic, Australia. Russians accounted for a quarter of all of the 83,428 international arrivals to the island. The top ten countries with passengers travelling to Phuket are as follows:
| COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | # OF TRAVELLERS | |
| 1 | Russia | 20,453 |
| 2 | India | 9,810 |
| 3 | Australia | 5,974 |
| 4 | UK | 5,037 |
| 5 | Germany | 4,616 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 3,888 |
| 7 | Singapore | 3,667 |
| 8 | Malaysia | 3,152 |
| 9 | USA | 2,635 |
| 10 | South Korea | 2,111 |
