What better way to celebrate new beginnings than a bright and colorful cultural welcome? That is what IrAero Airlines experienced as its first-ever Irkutsk–Kalibo direct flight was welcomed in Kalibo, Aklan, last Saturday, October 25, connecting the Philippines closer to Russia.
Russian tourists were greeted with a water cannon salute, cultural performances, and commemorative leis that showcased the island’s warm welcome for new visitors. The inaugural flight carried 95 passengers bound for Boracay, and were graced with the presence of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Philippines, His Excellency (H.E.) Marat Ignatyevich Pavlov; Trade Commissioner of the Russian Federation in the Philippines, Artyom Tsinamdzgvrishvili; Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores; Kalibo Mayor Juris Sucro; DOT Director Azucena Pallugna; DOT Western Visayas (DOT-6) Chief Tourism Operations Officer Jennylind Cordero; and other officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Immigration (BI), and Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
The Irkutsk-based Russian carrier will continue weekly Irkutsk–Kalibo on Saturdays until March 2026, with a short layover in Guilin, China. A second weekly route from Khabarovsk–Kalibo, will be launched today, October 28, and will continue every Tuesday until March 26, 2026, with stops at Blagoveshchensk, Russia, and Ningbo, China. The flights will be carried using the Russian civil aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100).
The new direct flight services will also serve to strengthen economic ties by fostering cultural exchanges between the Philippines and Russia, serving as a platform for mutual collaboration between the two nations.