MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2023) The cost of Russia's internal air transportation might increase by 15-30% without government subsidies for airlines in 2023, Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Igor Chalik said on Monday.
"The thing is, this year we still don't have subsidies approved that are similar to the previous year: as you remember, it was 100 billion rubles. In this regard we expect that the price of transportation will rise by approximately 15-30%. So, the number of flights might decrease," Chalik said during a meeting of the Ministry of Economic Development.
The air transportation market is affected by the fact that 11 airports in the south of Russia have been shut down since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the official added.
Opening at least two of them, in the cities of Krasnodar and Gelendzhik, would open many flight opportunities for Russians, he added.
