When planning a vacation abroad, the choice of not only a tour operator, but also an air carrier deserves special attention. Not so long ago, the I-Fly carrier appeared on the Russian charter market. Potential passengers are undoubtedly interested in the question: "I fly (airline) - whose airline?". Reviews about the carrier are also of considerable importance. What is important for passengers to know?
I fly airline: history
The airline was founded in 2009. Its main goal at that time was to carry out charter flights for the Tez Tour tour operator. It received an air operator certificate on October 30, but the first flight was performed on December 4. It was carried out from the Moscow Vnukovo airport along the Moscow-Antalya route. From now on, the airline "i-Fly" is based in Vnukovo.
Since 2010, the route network began to gradually expand: flights to Egypt were added to the schedule. In 2013, the enterprisewas recognized as the best charter carrier and awarded a diploma of the Russian award "Wings of Russia". In April 2015, the airline begins operating flights from Vnukovo to China to the cities of Xi'an, Tianjin and Shenyang.
In the summer of 2016, the enterprise began to have serious problems: the Federal Air Transport Agency limited the period of validity of the operational certificate. The fact is that the fleet of the enterprise is not so large. Passengers who purchased airline tickets from this carrier did not always go to their destinations, and sometimes even transferred to flights of other companies with significant delays. Initially, the certificate expiration date was July 15, and then it was moved to August 1. On August 10, it was decided to extend the certificate until October. However, by the end of September, the restrictions were completely lifted.
iFly (airline): aircraft fleet
In 2009, the company's air fleet initially consisted of only 3 Boeing 757-200 aircraft. But in 2010, it was replenished with an additional 4 long-haul airliners "Airbus A330-300". By 2014, the fleet had 7 aircraft: 2 Airbus A330-300 and 5 Boeing 757-200. By 2016, 2 Boeing 757-200 aircraft were decommissioned.
Today, about 20 years is the average age of the airliners owned by the airline "I Fly". The aircraft included in the fleet are as follows:
- Airbus A330-300 - 2 aircraft (with layouts for 387passengers),
- Boeing 757-200 - 2 aircraft (with layouts for 221 and 235 passengers).
In addition, 2 more aircraft were ordered, but their type has not yet been specified.
Classes of Service
Ai-Fly Airlines provides services to economy class passengers on its aircraft. No other service classes are provided. This also applies to the preliminary reservation of seats in the cabin. They are provided to passengers during the check-in procedure.
In-flight, passengers are offered a menu of three different dishes to choose from. When purchasing an air ticket, a passenger can order special meals, for example, vegetarian or children's meals. When traveling with children, passengers are provided with warm blankets. Smoking during the flight (including electronic cigarettes) is strictly prohibited.
Luggage
Passengers are en titled to free baggage allowance up to 20 kg. In addition, carry-on baggage is also allowed if its weight is not more than 5 kg, and the dimensions in the sum of three dimensions are 115 cm. kg.
If the established norms are exceeded, passengers are required to pay for excess baggage (the amount of overpayment varies from 10 to 20 euros depending on the direction). If passengers check in their luggage skis or snowboards and their weight is not more than 15 kg per passenger,no co-payment required.
Check-in for flights
You can check in for the carrier's flights to Vnukovo 3 hours before the scheduled departure time. It is also worth remembering that check-in ends 40 minutes before the departure of the aircraft. If passengers are traveling to Russia from other countries, check-in start and end times must be obtained from the tour operator in advance. There is no online service for registration yet.
Directions
In 2016, iFly operates flights to the following countries:
- Italy (Verona);
- Belgium (Liège);
- China (Xian, Tianjin, Shenyang).
Flights are also operated from Moscow to Simferopol Airport.
What do passengers think of the airline?
In general, travelers respond positively to the work of the airline. In particular, they note the professionalism of the crew and the good quality of the food provided in flight. The seats in the cabin are located at a quite acceptable distance from each other, which does not create discomfort for passengers. There are also negative reviews. They are connected for the most part with flight delays that have occurred recently due to a shortage of aircraft.
CV
Ai Fly is one of the best Russian charter carriers. The company was established in 2009. There are 4 airliners in the aircraft fleet today. There is only one serviceman on board.class is economic. Passengers generally respond positively to the quality of services provided by the carrier. Lately, however, there have been frequent delays due to a shortage of aircraft. This led to the fact that the Rosaviatsiya planned to withdraw the air operator's certificate. But after the situation was resolved, its validity period was again extended.
