Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) will not relaunch its budget operations under the Dobrolet brand name, but will instead stick to Бюджетный перевозчик ('Byudzetniy Perevozchik' - "Budget Air Carrier"). Aeroflot sources who spoke to Russia's Vedomosti newspaper on condition of anonymity this week said management had discussed various options but had settled on a more generic name as a means of protecting the Dobrolet brand until such time that international sanctions are lifted and the carrier is once more free to operate as it pleases.
Sources stated that the carrier had already begun its certification with Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) with B737-800s to be sourced from Aeroflot which in turn sourced them from Orenair (Orenburg). Aeroflot transferred the aircraft to Orenair shortly after Dobrolet suspended operations in August.
Initial flights will likely launch on October 27 covering Ufa, St. Petersburg, Samara Kurumoch, Perm Bolshoye Savino, Volgograd, Sochi, Tyumen Roschino, and Surgut.