DUSHANBE, October 13, 2009, Asia-Plus -- Russia’s air carrier, Ural Airlines, has launched a new air route from Barnaul (Russia) to Dushanbe, according to Anna Tomilova, a spokeswoman for Ural Airlines.

The first flight on this route was operated on October 12.  A-320 is used to operate flights and a passenger fare is 6,725 Russian rubles (equivalent to some 960 somoni).  The flight is operated once every two weeks – on Mondays.

Ural Airlines is an airline based in Yekaterinburg, Russia.  It operates scheduled and charter, domestic and international flights. Its main base is Koltsovo International Airport.  Ural Airlines also has a codeshare agreement with Malev Hungarian Airlines.

In 2008, the company transported 1,450,153 passengers, a new record.

Ural Airlines is a joint stock company incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation in December 1993 after the separation from Yekaterinburg airport.  It was established and started operations on December 28 1993.  It is owned by Ural Wings (65.77%) and Ural Transport Bank (14.67%).  The airline employs 1390 staff.

Ural has announced plans to retire its An-24s, Il-86s and Tu-154s in 2010 when it is scheduled to take delivery of its first of ten Sukhoi Superjet 100’s it has on order.  It has leased a seventh ex-Iberia A320-200 and will add an ex-Thomson Airways A320-200 later this year