Russian airline Aeroflot has announced plans to launch a no-frills operation under the name Dobrolet.
The new carrier will take to the skies next year if laws forbidding the sale of non-refundable tickets on the internet are repealed by the Russian government.
Dobrolet will fly from Moscow to St Petersburg and eight other Russian cities, and it is likely to expand to international routes. It has yet to name a home airport, which the carrier said will be “in the Moscow region”.
The brand is designed initially to compete with Russia’s long-distance train network. In return for speed and convenience, passengers will have to put up with seats that do not recline, no in-flight entertainment and cabins that will only be cleaned once a day.
There will be no premium cabin, but extra legroom seats will be offered for a fee and basic meals may be purchased.
Aeroflot chief executive Vitaly Savelyev said: “Nothing will be free.” He added that he expected a change in Russia’s ticketing laws “by the end of this year”.
Dobrolet will launch initially in mid-2014 using eight Boeing 737-800s.
The name Dobrolet was originally used by Aeroflot in the first eight years of its existence and the company promises that its subsidiary will have fares that are about 40 per cent cheaper than competitors.
aeroflot.com