Foreign airlines poised for Russian domestic market access in 2026, says Transport Ministry

:: Domodedovo airport

Russia’s Ministry of Transport has announced its expectation to permit foreign airlines to operate domestic flights, known as cabotage, with a target implementation date in 2026. Minister Andrey Nikitin confirmed in an interview with state-owned news agency TASS that the regulatory framework for such operations is already in place.

“The core mission of our carriers remains serving the domestic network,” stated Nikitin. “However, we are also working to facilitate the entry of foreign companies into the Russian domestic market.”

This initiative is viewed by authorities as a measure to sustain overall air traffic capacity. The move comes as the operational fleet of Russian airlines continues to diminish, creating a potential supply gap. Discussions on this topic were previously noted by former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit in 2024, with reported outreach for aircraft and cooperation to nations including Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Kuwait.

The Ministry forecasts that Russia’s total passenger air traffic in 2026 will hold steady at approximately 108 million passengers, mirroring the 2025 volume. Minister Nikitin suggested this figure could be exceeded, citing the potential contribution of foreign carriers and the potential reopening of several local airports that have been closed since 2022.

Supporting a positive outlook for the sector, Rosaviatsiya head Dmitry Yadrov recently projected a 2% increase in passenger traffic for the current year, to about 110.4 million. He attributed this growth to advancements in domestic aircraft maintenance capabilities and the resumed operations in 2025 of two key southern airports: Gelendzhik and Krasnodar.