November 11, 2013. The German air carrier Lufthansa is going to stop operating direct flights from Yekaterinburg to Frankfurt. The airline’s decision had to do with the need to reduce its outgoings. Koltsovo Airport of Yekaterinburg hopes to keep this destination available and says they are already negotiating with five air carriers.

Koltsovo Airport’s press secretary Dmitri Tyukhtin confirmed the airline’s decision to stop operating flights. He says the current economic situation in Europe makes it necessary for the air carrier to cut down on expenses, and a five-hour flight from Yekaterinburg to Frankfurt is expensive enough.

At the same time, Koltsovo feels this destination enjoys good demand, and they hope to keep it available. They are now holding talks with five Russian companies that expressed an interest in operating such flights.

Lufthansa’s Russian division says they don’t have any official information yet.