The Federal Air Transport Agency has announced a new path for cooperation between Russian and Venezuelan aviation authorities. According to an official telegraph channel of the agency, Russian carriers will be able to fly to Venezuela with a technical stop in Cuba, signaling a formal step toward expanded air connectivity between the two countries. This move is framed as part of broader bilateral aviation ties and comes with specific rights that facilitate more direct routing for passenger and cargo flights. [Source: Federal Air Transport Agency]
To strengthen bilateral cooperation in air traffic management, Russian and Venezuelan aviation authorities have agreed to grant both sides the right to operate flights using a fifth freedom of the air. This means that airlines from either country can carry revenue traffic between third countries as part of international routes. The Federal Air Transport Agency notes this as a major element of the agreement, intended to increase flight options and improve service frequency for travelers in both nations. [Source: Federal Air Transport Agency]
Under the newly announced arrangement, Russian airlines are slated to operate routes from Moscow to Porlamar, Venezuela, with a stopover in Varadero, Cuba. Venezuelan carriers, in turn, will fly from Caracas to Havana and then onward to Moscow, enabling shorter overall travel times and more flexible schedules for passengers and freight. These routings reflect a growing willingness to use intermediary stops to optimize routes and capture additional market opportunities across the region. [Source: Federal Air Transport Agency]
Rosaviatsia previously reported that foreign airlines have been increasing their transit flights through Russian airspace by a notable margin since the beginning of the year. The agency highlighted an 8 percent rise in transit movements compared with January, underscoring a trend of greater international traffic passing through Russia. The Federal Air Transport Agency also observed that carriers from Asia are gradually expanding their traffic volumes through Russian corridors, signaling evolving regional air mobility patterns and the strategic importance of Russian airspace as a transit corridor. [Source: Federal Air Transport Agency]