iFly Airlines has begun the process of increasing the number of aircraft in its fleet in order to conform to Russian minimum fleet-size regulations.
The leisure charter specialist took delivery of an ex-Hi Fly A330-300, EI-FSP, earlier last week and was in the process of adding an ex-Thomas Cook B757-200. Airline general director Ivan Burtin said the A330 would be deployed on flights to China while the B757 would be used to ferry tourists from around Russia to local leisure hotspots such as Adler and Sochi.
At present, IFly operates one A330-300 and one B757-200 on lease from AerCap.
Earlier this year, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) warned the carrier its AOC would be sanctioned unless it improved its financial standing and increased its fleet size by August 1. (Russian Aviation/Business World Magazine)