Aeroflot has increased the frequency of flights from Moscow to Saratov for the second time in 24 hours. Starting June 1, Aeroflot will operate four flights per day on this route, up from the previous two. The company has also lowered the minimum fare, according to Travel.ru.
The fourth flight will be an evening flight from Moscow and a morning flight from Saratov. Starting June 1, departures from Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport) will be at 6:55, 9:55, 16:55, and 19:10, arriving in Saratov at 9:25, 12:30, 19:30, and 21:45, respectively. Return departures will be at 8:45, 10:25, 13:30, and 21:15 starting June 2, arriving in Moscow at 9:25, 11:00, 14:05, and 21:50. The Superjet 100 aircraft will be used on this route, and all flights will depart from the new Sheremetyevo-1 (B) Terminal.
Tickets for both new departures (early morning and evening from Moscow and both morning departures from Saratov) are currently available starting at 4,286 rubles. There's a significant chance this price increase won't last long, as the minimum prices for the other two flights have remained at their previous high levels (8,786 rubles for most summer departures, 7,686 rubles for select midweek departures).
As a reminder, following the grounding of Saratov Airlines (Saravia) flights on May 30, Saratov, a city with a population of over a million, was left with virtually no air service. Only Aeroflot flights remain on the Moscow route; most other routes have disappeared. Utair now replaces Saravia for charter flights for shift workers to Surgut.
Furthermore, Saravia, the company that still operates Saratov Airport, announced that, starting June 1, the airport will only be open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM (with a lunch break from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM). This could significantly complicate the organization of new flights to the city. For the new Aeroflot flight, this means the aircraft will have to park in Saratov for almost half a day overnight.
Another major challenge is the current Saratov airport's unavailability to handle flights from most modern aircraft types, including the most common Boeing and Airbus models. It's possible that companies operating the Superjet 100 will soon express interest in flying to Saratov. The new Saratov airport, currently under construction outside the city and capable of handling almost all aircraft operating in Russia, will only open next year.
Source: travel.ru