ROUTES EUROPE: Solaris Airlines Born Out of Vyborg Brand

A new Russian carrier is to take to the air this summer using two Airbus A321-200s leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Solaris Airlines is to provide charter capacity in partnership with a range of local and overseas tour operators, including Turkey’s OTI Holding, and will offer flights mainly from Moscow Vnukovo to resorts across Turkey, alongside ad hoc charter work from Russian regional airports. The start-up has been formed from the ashes of small regional carrier Vyborg Airlines, which had offered flights from St Petersburg using Ilyushin Il-114 turboprops, one of only a small number of operators of the type, a locally produced model reminiscent of the BAe ATP.