Published on: 2026-09-30
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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The results of the industry’s work during the summer period were discussed, including the expansion of international flight geography, the development of domestic routes, and the implementation of subsidy programs. The head of Rosaviatsia informed the Prime Minister about the progress in the construction and reconstruction of aviation infrastructure and the development of the agency’s digital systems.
From the transcript:
M. Mishustin: Dear Dmitry Viktorovich, good afternoon!
The agency you head is tackling a very wide range of tasks related to the development of air transport and ensuring, which is particularly important today, flight safety. This is a complex high-tech field that is crucial for the connectivity of Russian territories.
The President emphasized the need to fully meet citizens’ demand for air travel. Demand for it in our country is steadily increasing, both for domestic routes and international ones.
Therefore, it is necessary to create the necessary conditions for steady development, increasing the number of flights and routes. To improve comfort and, of course, the accessibility of such trips, especially during vacation periods.
Tell us more about the results of passenger transportation this summer.
D.Yadrov: Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich!
Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency Dmitry Yadrov.
The summer period, the most intensive in terms of airspace usage, has ended. And despite all the difficulties we faced, primarily related to airspace usage restrictions, the industry as a whole – airlines, airports, air navigation – operated normally, steadily, and safely.
From May to August, Russian airlines transported 39.5 million passengers. Among them, 29.6 million were on domestic routes and 9.9 million on international air routes.
Currently, air traffic is conducted with 37 foreign countries. This summer, the focus was on Abkhazia, flights to Sukhumi. Already four airlines operate these flights on 12 routes. The growth compared to 2025 was 64%, with just over 114 thousand passengers transported.
Together with the Ministry of Transport, we have expanded the geography of flights to Egypt. At the request of Rosatom, due to the construction of a new nuclear power plant there, flights to El Alamein have been opened. Direct air communication with Tanzania is also carried out, and air communication with Syria has been resumed.
20 Russian airlines operate international flights. 61 foreign airline operates flights to the Russian Federation. This indicates the absence of a blockade of Russia on international routes.
Regarding the results of the work of our airlines, the undisputed leader remains the Aeroflot group of companies, with a market share of 53.5%. And during the reporting period from May to August, more than 21 million passengers were transported.
As for domestic destinations, we see quite good results in the Volga Federal District – growth of 8.9%, as well as in the Ural and Far Eastern Federal Districts – 1.5% each.
In terms of the international direction, compared to 2025, the Far Eastern Federal District shows good results – a growth of 29.9%, partly due to the development of air traffic with China and Thailand, and the Siberian Federal District – a growth of 15.1%.
As you know, Mikhail Vladimirovich, the industry in recent years has been operating at maximum capacity, and we evaluate it by the average occupancy of passenger seats: it already stands at 89.8%. The leaders here are the airline “S7 Airlines” with 95.6%, “Smartavia” with 95.5%, and the airline “Pobeda” with almost 95%. In addition, we continue to control the share of flights bypassing Moscow, which stands at more than 53%, and we assess and correlate it with the growth of routes within Russia. The increase by 2025 is expected to be 11%, and there are currently 1,677 such routes. This indicates a fairly high connectivity of cities and subjects of the Russian Federation.
On the operation of our airports. The total passenger traffic amounted to 79.7 million passengers, with a notable high growth in passenger volumes for foreign airlines – an increase of 11%. Leading the top three are Vladivostok, Ufa, and Kazan. And the top three airports in terms of passenger traffic growth are Vladivostok (9.5%), Khabarovsk (4.6%), and Novosibirsk (3.4%).
Of course, achieving such results in transportation would have been impossible without subsidy programs. They make flights more affordable for our citizens, as noted by both the President of our country and yourself. We still have three subsidy programs in operation. The regional program covers 306 routes. The social program for certain categories of citizens covers 99 routes. And socially important routes in the Far Eastern Federal District cover 39 destinations. By the end of 2026, we plan to transport over 4.5 million passengers.
I want to thank you: very recently you assisted the Federal Air Transport Agency by allocating additional funds for the development of digital systems. We are working on this matter very intensively, and results have already been achieved in two years. The number of documents requested by the agency has been reduced by 90, and the timeframes for providing public services in some areas, including certification of aviation equipment, have been shortened by 150–180 days. I am confident that the allocated funds will allow us to continue optimizing public services, enhance interaction with airspace users, and with our airlines and airports.
M. Mishustin: For many, air travel has long become commonplace. It is an opportunity to reach a holiday destination quickly and comfortably. To this end, programs for constructing passenger-friendly airport complexes are being implemented, and aerodrome infrastructure is being modernized.
During our working trips, we see that the situation on the ground is improving. Modern aviation infrastructure is being created, including in hard-to-reach regions. In particular, in areas of Siberia and the Far East, which are difficult to reach by other means. Since last year, runway repairs have begun there, and modular terminals have started to open for passengers in places where it is impossible to build permanent structures.
This issue is under special control by the President, and we regularly report to him on this matter.
How is the work progressing on commissioning such facilities?
D. Yadrov: Currently, there are 226 civil aviation aerodromes operating in the Russian Federation. Together with the Ministry of Transport of Russia, we continue to fulfill the tasks set by the President for the reconstruction and modernization of airport complexes. By 2030, such work must be carried out at no fewer than 75 aerodromes.
This year we have already completed and put into operation two runways in Grozny and Makhachkala. The commissioning of such facilities will ensure the declared capacity in the new airport terminal complexes under construction in these cities.
In addition, we plan to complete the reconstruction of taxiways in Bratsk, put the platform at the Perm airport into operation, and set the goal to commission the airport complex in the city of Mirny in the first quarter of 2027. This is a new airfield, a new terminal complex, and a runway. I was literally in Mirny recently. Of course, all residents of Yakutia are eagerly awaiting the opening of this facility.
We are, of course, also keeping the modernization of airport complexes under special control. I want to express my gratitude to you. You constantly visit the new, under-construction terminal complexes and thus provide the appropriate incentives to the client and the contractor.
This year, we have already put the airport in Blagoveshchensk into operation – you also visited it last year – with a capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour. Recently, we put the airport in Orenburg into operation – the throughput capacity increased nearly 2.8 times. We also put the airport in Barnaul into operation – the capacity increased to 600 passengers per hour. Together with the Ministry of Transport, we have agreed on modernization projects for the terminal complexes and airfield infrastructure in Vologda, Salekhard, and Smolensk.
Last year, by order of the President, a fund was established for the overhaul of airfield pavements and the construction of lightweight air terminal complexes. It is worth noting that timely conducted overhaul allows avoiding costly reconstruction of airfield pavements and extends the service life and operation of runways and taxiways. We have already completed the development of design and estimate documentation for 35 airfields. This year, we plan to complete the overhaul of airfield pavements in Cheboksary, Ulyanovsk, Lensk, Ust-Kuiga, Tynda, and Omolon.
Regarding rapidly erected complexes, we, of course, paid primary attention to the Far East and Siberia, understanding that the airport terminal complexes there are in a dilapidated state. Just recently, Minister of Transport Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin opened a new airport terminal complex in Tilichiki in the Kamchatka Krai, with a throughput capacity of 60 passengers per hour, as well as in Khabarovsk Krai – the Bogorodskoe airport with a throughput capacity of 35 passengers per hour. We plan to complete work by the end of this year in Palana (Kamchatka Krai), Tura (Krasnoyarsk Krai), Ayan (Khabarovsk Krai), and Pevek (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug).
M. Mishustin: Thank you, Dmitry Viktorovich.
It is very important to constantly monitor the progress of the work and keep these issues under personal control.
Despite all the challenges, civil aviation continues to develop. And this helps to expand opportunities for the growth of the economies of Russian regions and to improve the quality of life of our people.
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