"Russian government considers reducing number of international airports"

Friday, March 15, 2002

Government considers reducing number of international airports
RosBusinessConsulting


Moscow, Russia, -- The Russian government is considering the possibility
of decreasing the number of international airports, Deputy Prime
Minister Viktor Khristenko, chairman of the Transport Policy Commission,
told reporters. He pointed out that the operation of all international
airports was being constantly monitored now to determine whether they
fit their status. "Within one month we plan to obtain full information
on whether airports' operations are in accordance with their
international status," Khristenko remarked. Additionally, he reported
that the possibility of introducing a so-called "temporary conservation
mode" for such airports is being considered. "In such an event, an
airport will not deprived of its international status, but it will not
serve international flights until such a necessity emerges," the deputy
prime minister said. He added that there were 70 international airports
in Russia now, and 8 airports had been granted such status, but those
decisions had not been implemented. "Most of these airports do not serve
international flights," Khristenko pointed out. He underlined that most
of them are concentrated in the south of Russia. According to him, 96%
of the annual passenger flow go via only 16 airports. This situation
leads to "the scattering of state resources allocated for maintenance of
the relative infrastructure," the deputy prime minister pointed out.


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