International traffic outgrows domestic at Moscow airports

Vnukovo is still outperforming its Moscow rivals in traffic growth rate (Leonid Faerberg / Transport-Photo)

In June 2017, the total number of international travellers through Moscow’s three main airports exceeded domestic traffic for the first time since July 2015.

According to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (FATA), Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo airports handled a total of 4.233 million passengers traveling internationally in June, up 32.5% year-on-year. Their combined domestic traffic grew 6.5% to 4.221 million passengers. The total traffic growth rate across the three airports stood at 18.1%.

Vnukovo continued with the highest passenger rates in Moscow, serving 1.846 million in June, or 36% up year-on-year. The number of aircraft movements was up 13.2%, totaling 16,000. Traffic growth sky-rocketed on international routes at 137.7% to 786,000 passengers, which was even higher than the 11.1% of June 2015. The most popuar international destinations from Vnukovo were Antalya, Larnaca, Pathos, Iraklion, Istanbul, and Baku.

Three new international airlines launched flights to Vnukovo in June: Moldova’s FlyOne, Bulgaria’s Bul Air, and Iran Aseman.

Growth on domestic routes was moderate at just 32% year-on-year to 1.6 million passengers. Rossiya proved the fastest-growing passenger airline from Vnukovo.

Sheremetyevo’s traffic grew 19% to 3.614 million passengers according to FATA, or 3.665 million as reported by the airport. Sheremetyevo retains the title of Russia’s largest airport. If segmented, its recent growth does not appear that strikingly different internationally (+20.5% to 2.051 million passengrs) and domestically (+17.2% to 1.614 million passengers) for last month. The list of popular international destinations was topped by Paris, Tel Aviv, and Prague; St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Simferopol were the most preferred domestic destinations.

Domodedovo’s traffic grew by 8.3%. The airport handled 2.994 million passengers last month. No breakdown details have been disclosed.

Since January this year, total traffic through all the three Moscow airports grew by 18.5% to 39.68
million passengers, of whom 21.226 million traveled within Russia (up 12.4%) and the remaining 18.454 million passengers traveled internationally (up 26.4%). During this period, traffic through Vnukovo grew to reached 7.862 million passengers (up 39.5%); Domodedovo handled 13.87 million passengers (up 10.1%); and Sheremetyevo, 17.949 million (up 17.7%).