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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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112089
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11208900.029
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1990-09-19
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BUSINESS, Page 76Business NotesPERESTROIKACoffee, Tea or Camaraderie?
Not even stand-up comic Yakov Smirnoff could exaggerate the
absurd reality of flying Aeroflot, the Soviet airline. Passengers
must endure dismissive ticket agents, brusque cabin crews, delays
as long as three days and white-knuckle flights on ancient jets.
As a monopoly, Aeroflot nonetheless carried 120 million travelers
last year, making it the world's largest carrier.
But in the latest example of perestroika, a new airline called
ASDA is being formed to compete with Aeroflot. Staffed by Soviet
air force veterans and disgruntled Aeroflot pilots, the carrier
will fly rented Boeing 747s on long-haul routes connecting such
far-flung points as Kiev, Kamchatka, Moscow and Minsk. A
straight-faced Soviet news report promised that the new airline
will raise the level of passenger service. Travelers can only hope.