UK-based airline BMI and the Netherlands-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have launched new flights to Moscow that supplements the carriers existing flights to the Russian capital.

BMI would be operating daily return flights from London Heathrow to Moscow Domodedovo airport, while KLM intends to operate a round trip between Schiphol and Moscow Sheremetyevo. While the British carrier is slated to commence its services next month, the Dutch airline intends commence operations under its summer schedule that begins in March 2007.

For the British carrier, this is the first foray into medium-haul market. BMI has signed a commercial agreement with Russian airline Transaero for Moscow operations. The deal permits both the airlines to offer connections on the other's domestic and European routes. This also helps both the companies to double seat-capacity on these routes.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has a 30 per cent stake, while SAS AB has 20 per cent stake in BMI. The carrier is operated by a privately-held group.

For BMI, the route would complement its short- and long-haul network.

For KLM, the new flight will supplement the existing roundtrip – KL 903/904 – operating a round-trip between Amsterdam and Moscow. The Dutch carrier has signed a codesharing agreement with Russian carrier Aeroflot, which has operations on the Amsterdam-Moscow route. The new codesharing pact is in addition to the existing codesharing two contracts that the companies had signed earlier.

Both carriers, members of the SkyTeam, had begun codesharing agreement between Schiphol and Moscow Sheremetyevo hubs on November 1, 2006.

KLM currently operates a morning flight, KL903/904, from Amsterdam to Moscow that departs from Schiphol every morning and returns from Moscow Sheremetyevo in the afternoon. Aeroflot operates a morning flight from Moscow to Amsterdam, returns from Schiphol before noon and arrives at Moscow Sheremetyevo by afternoon.

The carriers are offering a range of connecting flights to various regions through the airlines' Schiphol and Sheremetyevo hubs.

KLM Group ferried around 22 million passengers and over 6,19,888 tonne of cargo, while it provided engineering and maintenance service for airframes, engines and components to over 100 airlines. The group operates a modern fleet of 190 aircraft.

The carrier has tie-ups with Air France and offers passengers and airfreight shippers service to over 250 destinations worldwide, either non-stop or via another airport.

KLM has the largest combi-fleet in the world. It operates 17 Boeing 747-400 ER and three freighter aircraft - Boeing 747 400 ERF. It had posted an operating income of EUR 540 million during the financial year 2005-06. KLM, which operates from Schiphol airport its home base, has stakes in KLM UK/Cityhopper (100 per cent), transavia.com (100 per cent), Martinair Holland (50 per cent) and Kenya Airways (26 per cent).