The introduction of new fees for airline passengers is being discussed in Russia.
This is how Russian authorities want to offset the high costs of leasing and operating aircraft, Kommersant reports, citing its sources. The surcharge for a domestic flight ticket could be up to 500–700 rubles, and internationally - from 1000 to 2000Such a measure, given the current passenger flow, will allow us to collect from 68 until 84 billion annually.
The fee is expected to help cover the difference between the high cost of the first Russian airliners and their preferential transfer to airlines, as well as offset initial operating costs, including aviation fuel.
The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Rostec, and airlines have not yet officially commented on the initiative. “There are no final decisions yet on the amount and collection method,” — says one of Kommersant’s sources in the government.
Aviation experts warn that passing on these costs to passengers will lead to a decline in demand for flights, as the domestic market is extremely sensitive to rising ticket prices. The resulting drop in traffic could worsen the financial position of carriers and airports. It would be more logical to cover these costs directly from the federal budget.
For several years now, Russian airlines have been cutting back on flights, and the number of flight delays has been growing—not only due to drone strikes or bad weather, but also because aircraft breakdowns have become more frequent and the number of spare aircraft has decreased.
Russian aviation is slowly but surely deteriorating—sanctions have cut airlines off from foreign supplies of equipment and spare parts, bans on overflights through EU airspace have increased the cost of many routes, and aircraft manufacturers' promises to produce domestic replacements for imported aircraft have remained just that: promises.
Read about how Russian aviation is losing its wings in this article from NeMoskva.