Russia's largest airline OAO Aeroflot has laid out plans to establish a discount division for a capital outlay of USD100 million for the next two years. This move comes after budget airline operators EasyJet Plc and Wizz Air Ltd gain inroads into the lucrative Russian market.
The company is to be known as Dobrolet and it would ply commercial domestic services starting next year utilizing eight Boeing Co 737-800 planes. This was confirmed by Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev in a reporters discussion last Monday in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had supported the opening of low cost flyers into the Russian commercial market. Amongst the requirements set for the carriers would be to insitute legal changes to allow non refundable tickets, meal charging and hiring of foreign pilots.
Dobrolet means 'good flier' in Russian would be able to carry nearly one million passengers in 2014 and grow to carry as much as ten million in the next five years.
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