British budget airline EasyJet has managed to take hold of one of the two British airline slots allowed to fly into Russia and plans to offer £125 tickets from London to Moscow. This has also brought concern for overpriced national flights in Russia bringing in the opportunity for a Russian National Budget airline service to spring up. When airlines compete travelers win.

Citing concern over high domestic ticket prices, the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service announced mid-October that it is considering granting foreign budget operators access to domestic airspace: a not-so-subtle hint to Russia’s current airline giants.

Ten days later, Aeroflot’s General Director, Vitaly Savelyev, met with President Putin to discuss the development of a national budget carrier. “The planes we buy are not cheap, and Aeroflot therefore cannot be a cheap airline,” said Savelyev, according to a transcript of the conversation on the Kremlin website. “The big issue now, as your instruction – which we are acting on – made clear, is to establish a national low-cost airline.” Savelyev said the new budget option could be launched in less than one year.

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