Gettting to Irkutsk from the asian side?

I've been doing searches all day... how to get to Irkutsk from the Asian
side (Australia, actually).

We were hoping there was a "safe" airline that flies there, but it seems
that you get Siberia Airlines, China Southern and a bunch of others. The
plane Siberia flies there is one that is specifically exempt from the IATA
IOSA certificate they've got (a Tupovlev 154).

The better alternative seems to be the Trans siberian Railway from Beijing.

Have I got it right, or have I missed something?

Are there any "big" well known, safe, airlines that fly to Irkutsk, even
from the Western side? all I can see on that side is Aeroflot. What are they
like these days?

--
ant
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"ant" <cb4wangq RemoveThis @yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message
news:5v8ukaF1lp156U1@mid.individual.net...
> I've been doing searches all day... how to get to Irkutsk from the Asian
> side (Australia, actually).
>
> We were hoping there was a "safe" airline that flies there, but it seems
> that you get Siberia Airlines, China Southern and a bunch of others. The
> plane Siberia flies there is one that is specifically exempt from the IATA
> IOSA certificate they've got (a Tupovlev 154).

As is any aircraft not manufactured in the "West" - but that doesn't stop
half the world from flying in Antonov's, Ilyushin's, Tupolev's & Yak's.

Coming from the "asian side" inevitably means that your last leg will be
Beijing-->Irkutsk.
That can be done with one of three Russian carriers - Siberia, KrasAir or
VladAir - who all use Tupolev 154's.
Sibir's Tu154's are among some of the last produced in 2006.

Alternatively you can fly with China Southern in an Airbus 321.
The average age of CS's fleet of 321's is 3 years.
China Southern recently became a member of the SkyTeam alliance.


> The better alternative seems to be the Trans-Siberian Railway from
> Beijing.

Yawn!!

Regards
Gerry