The Russian low-cost carrier Dobrolet (owned by Aeroflot) performed its first takeoff from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Simferopol at 13:30, Moscow time, (12:30, Kiev time) on Tuesday, the Vedomosti publication reports.
Sale of tickets for Dobrolet’s flights began on May 26. Practically all the tickets for the flights scheduled until the end of June have been bought in Simferopol. The passenger load factor on flights from Moscow to Simferopol is 99.9% from June 11 to 22 and 100% on return flights from June 27 to 30.
The minimum price of a one-way ticket, including taxes, was RUB 979.5 (USD 28.5), but the number of seats sold at this price was limited. A one-way ticket can currently be purchased for RUB 3,430.5 (USD 99.9), including taxes.
Dobrolet is currently selling tickets only for June. The company’s schedule includes three turnaround flights from Moscow (the Sheremetyevo Airport’s Terminal B) to Simferopol. According to a representative of Dobrolet, sale of tickets for July will begin in the first half of June. The cost of a round-trip ticket will range from RUB 1,998 to RUB 6,998 (USD 58-204), including taxes. It also plans to add one more flight.
There are two scenarios for development of Dobrolet’s business. In the first (pessimistic) scenario, the carrier will have a fleet of 30 aircraft by 2018; in the second (optimistic) scenario, it will have a fleet of 40 aircraft.
