Aeroflot's low-cost carrier Dobrolet starts commercial flights

Aeroflot released that Dobrolet, its wholly owned low-cost carrier subsidiary, has completed its first commercial flight from Moscow to Simferopol. Aeroflot launched a low-cost carrier project to achieve its strategic goal of increasing the availability of air travel for Russian citizens and to further develop air travel as the most efficient form of passenger transport in Russia. The low-cost model is based on maintaining tight control of costs, particularly on some elements of service. As a result, Dobrolet’s transportation costs are 20%-30% lower than classical established carriers, and may be further reduced in future. In August, Dobrolet will launch flights to St Petersburg and Samara. The route network will subsequently expand to other Russian regions, and from 2016 Dobrolet plans to fly to international destinations, primarily in Europe and the CIS. The new airline’s fleet will consist of new Boeing 737-800NGs in one-class configuration designed to carry 189 passengers. By the end of 2014 Dobrolet will operate eight aircraft. Dobrolet plans to increase its fleet to 40 aircraft by 2018, operating 45 routes and carrying more than 10 million passengers.