SKYSERVICE 2017 FORUM


quality questions to this writer at the end of his global inflight duty free conference presentation Just how much arrivals duty free


may impact on inflight duty free sales onboard Russian carriers remains to be seen however and especially considering that Aeroflot and several other carriers no longer sell alcohol onboard. The fact that many other Russian


airlines are now selling duty free goods onboard will provide the business with a big boost however and especially as Aeromar is the main supplier of catering and cleaning services to many of these airlines.


Inflight exclusives Aeroflot’s duty free concessionaire ISG is already positioned well to compete with this development with its policy of developing its premium Sky Shop offering with high quality products that cannot be bought at other duty free shops – particularly in the big profit return areas of beauty and skincare. Meanwhile, this year’s enthusiastic


SKYSERVICE conference attendees were also fortunate to hear a comprehensive presentation from Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport’s Hnkyanh, who revealed that the airport is investing more than $860m in its largest expansion. Most significantly, Sheremetyevo


– the biggest of all three Moscow- based airports – has the approvals and now plans to raise its passenger handing capacity to 55m by the end of 2018 and to 80m by 2025 – with many of those present at the SKYSERVICE event clearly hearing this for the very first time. The clear opportunity here is


not only with the sheer volumes of Russians travelling overseas, but also the opportunity that Sheremetyevo’s enlarged transfer facilities afford for both Russians and ‘foreigners’ alike. This passenger mix transformation into several nationalities with different product tastes will also be reflected in the future evolving retail mix – both on the ground and in the air. With one eye on next year’s


2018 FIFA World Cup tournament, Hnkyanh added that the current Sheremetyevo expansion plan


JUNE 2017


Cabin crew from more than 40 airlines attended the event in April.


is vital if Moscow is to cope with the anticipated future growth of national carrier Aeroflot – plus several other Russian airlines with rapidly developing route networks – most of whom were represented in the audience. Sheremetyevo is already Russia’s


largest airport in volumes of passengers, cargo handling, runway operations and passenger terminal areas, with a route network covering more than 300 destinations.


‘A lot of change’ ahead As such, Hnkyanh told the conference that the airport’s preparatory vision ahead of next year’s World Cup soccer tournament will trigger ‘a lot of change’ as part of the 10-year expansion plan built on Sheremetyevo’s solid foundations where Sheremetyevo handled 38m passengers last year and ‘serviced more than 40% of all transfer passengers in Russia. The prospect of all of this increased


connectivity is also naturally exciting for Russia’s main airlines and ISG’s Karen Durban-Villeval says the expanding marketplace is very welcome news for the Aeroflot duty free programme and the developing offers that ISG is also helping to create for other Russian airlines, as she explained. “Well last year it was quite difficult


in Russia because of the crisis and the economic situation...but now they are recovering very fast and they spend a lot. “So skin care is totally booming and also with niche products. So


Ahapen Hnkyanh said the current Sheremetyevo expansion plan is vital if Moscow is to cope with the anticipated future growth of national carrier Aeroflot – plus several other Russian airlines with rapidly developing route networks


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we are exclusive in our selection for them so that they can’t find these products on the local market, or even at the airport. “We carry 90% Russian people, so


we clearly have to please the Russians and then we have weekly training with the crew in Russian with local brands and I think we still need to develop and create a partnership with Aeroflot on the IT side, because today it is still 80% cash payments.” She also believes ISG can help


the crew to sell quicker and better, although average spends vary greatly as she explained: “It can be €2,000 on a leg, which is good for Aeroflot although that can be improved, but it is already very good and the minimum can be very low. But people do have money and I can see the difference between today and last year. “This is all a whole new experience


for Aeroflot and for all of the little airlines that are satellites of Aeroflot that ISG is also serving, so this is new territory.” «


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