Michael Babich: «One and a half month is left till the start of first flights between the cities of Volga Federal District»

Before the start of the first flights between the cities of Volga Federal District (PFO) one and a half month is left. The progress of the pilot project implementation on development of regional passenger aviation transportations in PFO was estimated by the plenipotentiary of the President of Russia in PFO Michael Babich.

“Large enough companies expressed their desire to participate in our project. Now competitive applications are collected. All subjects of the Volga Federal District allocated money from their budgets for the project co-financing,” the plenipotentiary marked after the meeting in Orenburg. “At the stated time competition of airlines will be held. Frequency, routing of flights and other technical parametres are defined now, which will allow starting flights since April 1.”

More than one fifth part of the population of all Russia lives in PFO, but thus only seven percent of inhabitants of the country use flight connection, and it is even less in Volga Federal District. Falling of regional aviation transportations almost in 50 times within PFO happened for the last 30 years: the volume of transportations then made about two million people, today no more than 41 thousand people are transported on regional routes.

The new project will allow changing the situation with regional aviation transportations in the district fundamentally. The quantity of passengers following the results of current year will increase roughly five times.