Aeroflot Group: LCCs in Russia have been notable for their absence. Aeroflot will start one

The Aeroflot Group is the leading airline group in the Russian Federation by some distance. Its airlines have strong market positions at its hubs across the country, which extends from Europe to within a short distance of China, Korea and Japan. The group has been profitable for over twenty years and its passenger traffic is growing at double digit rates.

Its market position has benefited from a government "national champion" policy, through the 2011 acquisition of a number of state-owned regional carriers. Nevertheless, its 2012 profits were diluted by losses in the newly acquired subsidiaries.

In an attempt to address this, its two carriers in Russia's Far East are to be merged. Moreover, the major European country with the lowest LCC penetration looks as if it may soon have its very own no-frills airline after Aeroflot's recent announcement that it plans to establish a new LCC subsidiary.