Aeroflot To Offer Five-Ruble Tickets For Russian Fans During World Cup

Russian President Vladimir Putin backed a proposal for the country’s flagship carrier, Aeroflot, to "sell flight tickets to fans of the Russian national football team" during the 2018 World Cup for a price of five rubles ($0.09), according to TASS. Aeroflot General Dir Vitaly Savelyev said, "This will not be free of charge because we want to see the championship as a five-star event. We will carry all Russian football fans along Aeroflot's routes to any city which hosts matches of the World Cup for a price of five rubles for a one-way ticket. Tickets will be sold three days before and three days after a particular match "in order to prevent a possible rush." Savelyev added, "This will be for the fans of the Russian national team only." He also said that if Putin granted support, the company would "begin implementing the initiative" in January (TASS, 12/28).