Pegas Fly, operating under the brand name Ikar, is a Russian charter airline specializing in scheduled and charter leisure flights, primarily to international holiday destinations. As of 2024, the airline is an active and operational carrier. It is part of the S7 Group, which is one of Russia’s largest aviation holdings, though it maintains its own Air Operator’s Certificate and management. The airline’s primary business model focuses on serving the tourist flow from Russia to points in Asia, the Middle East, and other warm-weather locales.
The airline was founded in 1995 and began operations under the name Ikar. For many years, it functioned as a relatively small carrier. A significant turning point came in 2011 when it was acquired by the S7 Group. Under this new ownership, the airline embarked on a period of fleet renewal and strategic refocusing. In March 2018, the airline underwent a major rebranding, changing its public name from Ikar to Pegas Fly. This change was intended to align the brand with its main tour operator partner, Pegas Touristik, a major force in the Russian travel market. However, in May 2024, the company reversed this decision and officially returned to its original brand name, Ikar, while keeping Pegas Fly as its legal corporate name.
In terms of operations and fleet, Pegas Fly (Ikar) has historically utilized Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport (VKO) as its main operational base, with a secondary hub at Khabarovsk Airport (KHV) in the Russian Far East. This dual-hub strategy allows it to serve both the European and Asian parts of Russia efficiently. Its route network has heavily featured destinations in Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, China, and the Dominican Republic, among others. The airline’s fleet has been consistently composed of Western-made, wide-body aircraft ideal for long-haul leisure routes. Its core fleet for many years consisted of Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 767-300 aircraft, which offer a balance of range and passenger capacity for the charter market.
A recent timeline from 2016 onward shows key developments. In 2016, the airline completed a full renewal of its fleet, standardizing on Boeing 757 and 767 models. The aforementioned rebranding to Pegas Fly occurred in March 2018. The global pandemic from 2020 to 2022 presented severe challenges, leading to a near-total suspension of operations. However, the airline resumed flying in late 2021 and 2022, adapting to new geopolitical realities following international sanctions. A pivotal operational shift occurred in 2023 when the airline wet-leased two of its Boeing 767-300 aircraft to its sister company, S7 Airlines, for scheduled domestic flights within Russia, a move to optimize asset utilization. In 2024, the strategic partnership deepened, with S7 Airlines taking over the commercial management of all Pegas Fly’s aircraft and routes, effectively integrating it more closely into the group’s network while retaining its separate AOC. The public rebranding back to Ikar was announced in May 2024.
The current status of Pegas Fly (Ikar) is that of an active airline navigating a transformed post-2022 aviation landscape. With its deep integration into the S7 Group and its continued focus on leisure travel, it remains a significant player in serving Russia’s tourist demand. Its legacy is that of a resilient carrier that evolved from a small independent operator to a strategically important component of a major aviation group. By consistently operating efficient, long-haul aircraft on point-to-point leisure routes, it has carved out a specific niche. The return to the Ikar brand signifies a reconnection with its historical identity, even as it moves forward under a tightly managed commercial framework with S7 Airlines, ensuring its continued operations in the current era.