Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a meeting with the government that the air transport space is under attack due to the sanctions imposed on Russia.
“In the context of sanctions, insufficient, I would say, the decisions of our former Western partners – that is, old, because they refused to work with us – overt political pressure on commercial companies, the air transport sector was under attack.” aforementioned.
The head of state emphasized that the aviation industry is of strategic importance for the country, it stimulates the development of the high-tech industry and creates employment.
“This is especially important for a large country like Russia,” he said, pointing to the role of air travel in providing connectivity between regions.
The head of state noted that traffic volumes have decreased compared to 2021.
“However, if you look at the dynamics over the last four months, the growth is also evident, which is also linked to the decisions to support the industry and stabilize ticket prices,” said the chairman.
According to him, given that the support program is designed for the period until October 31, it is necessary to consider under what conditions the air transport sector will work, starting from the “low” winter season.
“The task of increasing the volume of domestic transport, increasing its accessibility for citizens, of course, is among the key tasks,” the head of state said. He also called for special attention to be paid to remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Development opportunities
According to the president, the current situation “with all its obvious challenges” gives the industry “a unique opportunity to reach a fundamentally new level of development”.
Putin called for a sustainable economic growth trajectory for the air travel industry in the coming years, and also said that “the industry should be prepared for a rapid recovery in service volume”.
“Domestic consumer demand is currently recovering actively. And this will be accompanied by a faster increase in demand for air travel from our citizens.”
The last meeting of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers on air transport took place at the end of March, after which Putin instructed the government to develop a comprehensive program for the development of the industry by 2030. At the end of June, the Cabinet approved the document and described the accelerated transition to domestic equipment as a strategic task.
The total amount of funds for the program for the next seven years will amount to more than 770 billion rubles.
By 2030, the fleet of Russian airlines is expected to be replenished with 270 MS-21-310 aircraft, about 140 SSJ New aircraft, and more than a thousand aircraft of domestic production, including 70 Il-114-300 and Tu-214. aeroplane. In addition, more than 760 helicopters are planned to be produced and delivered to airlines.
Who will cover the high cost of the plane?
According to Putin, Russian airlines will gradually begin to switch to domestic planes, but their high cost should not be passed on to passengers.
“We understand the cost of domestic planes, we understand which companies and carriers will buy them at what prices. And everything must be done to ensure that this cost is not passed on to passengers – and will of course be important in the early stages -.”
He urged “to define an economic model in advance”, in which the interests of citizens “in terms of accessibility and ease of flight” will be taken into account in the process of production and renewal of the fleet.
The President reminded that the authorities agreed on priority measures to support air transport at the end of March.
“It has been decided to reimburse airlines for a part of the cost of airline tickets, especially for domestic flights. We did this first and foremost to support our people so that companies don’t have to burden the shoulders of the passengers with the challenges that have objectively arisen,” he said.
he stated the government has allocated 100 billion rubles for these purposesnoting that this is “good money”.
The situation in the Russian aviation industry
The head of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, Vitaly Savelyev, said at the meeting that domestic airlines reduced transportation by 9% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2021.
Citing the Ministry of Transport and its own sources at the ministry, Vedomosti writes that Russian airlines could lose up to 19 million passengers due to airports in the south of the country. Experts therefore believe that the airline industry’s plan to transport 100 million people in 2022 will not be fulfilled.
“Yes, we have flight restrictions at 11 airports in the south of Russia. This has led to a reduction in passenger traffic … At the same time, the Ministry of Transport and air carriers are making every effort to rectify the situation, ”the statement said.
By the end of 2022, approximately 5 million passengers are planned to be transported within the scope of subsidy programs.
The minister noted that state support measures make it possible to limit the growth of air transport tariffs, and the authorities have already allocated 153 billion rubles for the development of the aviation industry.
In late February – early March, due to the military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the sky of Russian airlines was closed by dozens of states: EU countries and England, the USA, Canada and others. In response, Moscow imposed a ban on the use of its airspace. Airlines from 36 countries.
In addition, due to sanctions, airlines of the Russian Federation were prohibited from supplying aircraft, spare parts and equipment. Aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing suspended technical support to Russian airlines, and lessors began demanding the return of the planes.
21 July European Union easing sanctions and the supply of goods and technologies in the field of aviation to the Russian Federation to the extent necessary to meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization.