19.03.2024, 09:51
Sochi Airport has requested a special flight regime for itself
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Sochi Airport has requested to introduce an open sky regime for itself for the next three years. This is reported by RBC with reference to a letter from Alexey Starostin, CEO of the company "Aerodynamics", which manages the Sochi airport.
The letter was sent to the Ministry of Transport at the end of 2023, but it became known about it only now. In the letter, Starostin complains about the low tourist flow in Sochi and restrictions on international flights. In particular, he mentions inter-country agreements that prevent the launch of new foreign destinations.
According to the CEO of Aerodynamics, some restrictions should be lifted and a special fifth degree of "air freedom" should be introduced. The innovation would allow foreign companies to fly between two foreign countries, provided that the starting or ending point of the flight is the country of registration. Last year, Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport offered a similar initiative, but only for Chinese airlines.
"Airlines from the Middle East and the CIS are interested in opening flights to Sochi, but with the lifting of restrictions on the fifth "freedom of airspace" and the use of Sochi as a transit point," Starostin explains the initiative. In his opinion, the lifting of restrictions will help reduce the cost of air tickets, as well as give an impetus to the development of inbound tourism and competition between carriers.
The letter also lists the countries to which the fifth degree of "air freedom" will apply. First of all, these are Arab countries: Syria, Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan. Also on the list are the States of the African continent: Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa and Ethiopia.
Earlier it became known that from May 1, 2024, subsidized flights are planned to be launched for residents of the Kaliningrad region. The regional government reported that the decision on the allocation of subsidies from the federal budget is already ready. At the next stage, the Federal Air Transport Agency will select airlines that will operate flights to and from Kaliningrad with a fixed ticket price.
The letter was sent to the Ministry of Transport at the end of 2023, but it became known about it only now. In the letter, Starostin complains about the low tourist flow in Sochi and restrictions on international flights. In particular, he mentions inter-country agreements that prevent the launch of new foreign destinations.
According to the CEO of Aerodynamics, some restrictions should be lifted and a special fifth degree of "air freedom" should be introduced. The innovation would allow foreign companies to fly between two foreign countries, provided that the starting or ending point of the flight is the country of registration. Last year, Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport offered a similar initiative, but only for Chinese airlines.
"Airlines from the Middle East and the CIS are interested in opening flights to Sochi, but with the lifting of restrictions on the fifth "freedom of airspace" and the use of Sochi as a transit point," Starostin explains the initiative. In his opinion, the lifting of restrictions will help reduce the cost of air tickets, as well as give an impetus to the development of inbound tourism and competition between carriers.
The letter also lists the countries to which the fifth degree of "air freedom" will apply. First of all, these are Arab countries: Syria, Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan. Also on the list are the States of the African continent: Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa and Ethiopia.
Earlier it became known that from May 1, 2024, subsidized flights are planned to be launched for residents of the Kaliningrad region. The regional government reported that the decision on the allocation of subsidies from the federal budget is already ready. At the next stage, the Federal Air Transport Agency will select airlines that will operate flights to and from Kaliningrad with a fixed ticket price.
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