Russia’s international air traffic rose to its highest level since the pandemic

:: Russian Aviation Insider

In the period from January to August 2023, Russia’s airlines collectively carried 71 million passengers, up 13% year-on-year, with overall passenger traffic is now at 78% of pre-crisis 2019 levels.

The figures were obtained by Russian media from Rosaviatsiya, while nation’s aviation authority currently doesn’t officially publish them.

Of the total traffic, only 14.6 million passengers travelled internationally, as Russia’s air transport industry continues to be plagued by international sanctions and weak economy. Yet, this represents a 33% growth year-on-year. Moreover, this is the highest figure achieved since 2020.

Still, compared to international passenger numbers recorded in eight months of 2019 – 37 million passengers were transported, there is a huge gap.

Today, Russia maintains direct air links with 37 countries, with Russia’s airlines flying to 24 nations, according to Rosaviatsiya.

Russian airlines posted a 9% increase in January-August domestic traffic compared to a year ago, traffic was 14% above the 2019 results.

The trend of flights decentralization inside the country is increasingly evident. The share of passengers flying without a stopover in Moscow continues to grow. In 2023, it increased to 42%, compared to 2019’s 26%.