Aeroflot’s New Lowcoster Might Start Flights in Late October

SELIGER, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot plans to set up a new low-cost carrier replacing Dobrolet, the flights might start as early as in late October, Aeroflot Director General Vitaly Savelyev said Sunday at the Seliger International Youth Forum.

“We will register a new airline company. We have decided on this scenario. We will still give Europe another chance,” Savelyev said.

Savelyev explained that a low-cost carrier’s model proved efficient in 1.5 months.

“We are currently negotiating with leasing companies and the first efforts demonstrate that they are willing to work with us. We are preparing a roadmap. I suppose we can take off when winter schedule starts – as of October 27,” Savelyev said.

The new carrier will have four planes in its fleet by winter. According to Savelyev, the flights map will copy Dobrolet’s itineraries – Samara, Perm, Ufa, Volgograd. Whether the new company will fly to the Crimea is yet to be decided.

Russia’s Dobrolet stopped flights after the company was included on the EU blacklist unveiled on July 30 among other Russian entities targeted by sanctions over the country’s alleged role in the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis. The European Union said Dobrolet carried out flights to Crimea, facilitating the former Ukrainian region’s integration with Russia.