"Private business is willing to invest in the construction of airport terminals"

It is planned to build and reconstruct 75 airport terminals by 2030, and four new ones have already been commissioned this year. Roman Starovoit, Minister of Transport, spoke about this in an exclusive interview with Izvestia at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2025). He recalled that such a task is within the framework of the national project "Efficient Transport System" to increase the air mobility of the population by 50% by 2030. This year, it is planned to allocate about 5 billion rubles for these purposes, the minister noted. The head of the department also spoke about the goal to keep air transportation at the level of last year and achieve zero deaths on highways by 2050. There is a human resource in the industry for this, Roman Starovoit assured.

"Russian airlines are ready to sign contracts for 200 MC-21 aircraft"

— Roman Viktorovich, the national project "Efficient Transport System" assumes an increase in air traffic by 50% by 2030. How can this be achieved, given the limitations of aircraft and the virtually full occupancy of seats?

— We have several solutions. The task that the president has set for us is indeed the need to increase aviation mobility of our population by one and a half times. Firstly, it is the creation of a comfortable, safe, modern infrastructure, including an airfield, so it is planned to build and reconstruct 75 terminals by 2030. We are clearly following the plan, and four new terminals have already been commissioned this year, including a key hub for the North Caucasus. Such a solemn event has recently taken place in Mineralnye Vody. To a large extent, these projects are implemented on the principles of public private partnership. Today, private businesses are willing to invest in the construction of terminals, and this task is on our radar, if I may say so, a priority.

In part of the state, in parallel with the construction of new terminals, we are modernizing runways, taxiways, and also updating navigation equipment. This work is carried out by the Federal Air Transport Agency at the expense of the federal budget. It has been approved and the financial plan has also been reviewed.

— How much money is planned for this year?

— It is planned to allocate about 5 billion rubles for these purposes this year. This is the first part of the task. The second part of the task is to maintain airworthiness. The illegal sanctions imposed have made this task much more difficult for us. But our airlines have been doing well for the last two and a half years. We find ways to replace the necessary spare parts and maintain airworthiness in accordance with all regulations and deadlines. And, of course, this is the delivery of new aircraft, and here we are working together with our colleagues from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, who are responsible for this task. Therefore, our plans include the delivery of new domestic vessels. Moreover, it is important to note that our airlines are ready to announce the purchase and purchase of domestic MC-21 aircraft today. Russian airlines are ready to sign contracts for 200 aircraft. For our part, certification work is already underway with Rosaviation, because the creation of a new aircraft is a long process, it is not only the development of design documentation, the creation of prototypes, but also a lot of certification work, because it directly affects the safety of aircraft operation.

"Today the task is to develop those airlines that exist"

— When we talk about aviation, we mean short-haul, medium-haul and long-haul transportation. But in remote areas, small aircraft are needed now more than ever. If we take the example of the USA, for example, Alaska is there, relatively speaking, everything is provided by private pilots on small planes. What is happening with this, how is the development of small aircraft going? After all, by and large, our small aircraft turned out to be abandoned at some point. And market participants often say that investing in it is very expensive and there is no point.

— Indeed, there is such a question. In 2024, on my initiative, an expert council for the development of general aviation was organized, the so-called small aircraft, which you are talking about. The complex task here is not only the use of small aircraft for personal purposes, but also the creation of a training or specialized fleet, which is used, for example, in agriculture. We are solving this problem comprehensively. An action plan has been prepared to modernize the entire legislative framework in this area. We are working on this together with State Duma deputies who are also included in the working group, the expert council, members of the Federation Council, as well as with our colleagues from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federal Air Transport Agency. It is very important to understand that there are some restrictions on the supply of such vessels from abroad, because today our manufacturers are not fully able to meet the needs.

— Today there are many small private companies that are ready to produce these aircraft in small batches...

— Both small and not small. For example, the S7 group recently presented a very good example of a Tango aircraft with an engine of its own design. This is a high-tech modern aircraft, dozens of units of which we are ready to purchase at the expense of the federal budget to upgrade our training fleet. Because there are higher and secondary educational institutions in the perimeter of the Ministry of Transport that are in dire need of new vessels.

You're talking about hard—to-reach places like the Far East, Siberia, and the north. In this area, we support the regions and annually about 20 billion rubles are allocated to subsidize such flights. We are already summarizing the results of the first half of the year — more than 40 million passengers were transported by our aircraft. This is at the level of last year, and we finished it well, with 111 million passengers.

— But last year was even a breakthrough year in terms of transportation figures?

— Taking into account all the restrictions that exist, I agree with you, this is 111.7 million passengers, which is an increase by 6% by 2023. Today we are at the level of last year, and of these 40 million, three quarters are domestic shipments. This indicates the demand for aviation, and we are closely monitoring the loading of aircraft, and it is close to the maximum. This means that passengers choose aviation and trust it.

— Does this mean that there is a chance of new airlines and new carriers? And that the market will expand?

— I would not say that about new airlines now, because our market is more or less well-established, and today the task is to develop those airlines that exist.

— What are the prospects for attracting foreigners to the Russian market for domestic transportation, the so-called coastal transportation?

— Coastal transportation, wet leasing — we have already made changes to the legislation for this. These are the tools that will help us achieve our goal of improving aviation mobility. Yes, we are discussing such issues with our foreign partners, and they are studying them carefully.

— Are there any interested parties?

— There are interested parties, but it must be understood that today there are questions about the acquisition and supply of new aircraft not only in Russia. Foreign airlines also have them. There is a fairly large queue, because in the whole world we are witnessing a trend towards increasing aviation mobility.

"Unmanned technologies are being actively experimented in public transport"

— On June 17, as we know, the Prime Minister held a strategic session on transport issues. What key points were highlighted, what was the focus on, and what decisions might have already been made?

— We discussed the rapid development of transport infrastructure. And what is it? Our task is to create a transport infrastructure based on macroeconomic forecasts and the development of the economy, industry, and agriculture in our country as a whole. Here, plans should be synchronized and the development of transport infrastructure should be somewhat proactive.

— And what does it mean to create? Don't we have her now?

— It exists, but given that enterprises are being created and new deposits are being developed, investors should understand how they will export, for example, their cargo or ensure the supply of components. And here the task is to synchronize our plans, because the existing infrastructure is being created, and every year we build new railways and highways. In order for this infrastructure to meet future needs, it is necessary to make plans, because the investment cycle for the creation of transport infrastructure requires not only money, but also time. This construction was just discussed. Given the changes that are taking place in the world today and the illegal restrictions imposed on our country, we need to adjust our plans, because in 2021, the government approved a Strategy for the development of transport infrastructure with a horizon until 2035.

On June 17, a decision was made on the need to adjust this strategy. And extending the planning horizon to 2050. We discussed new technologies, digitalization, and unmanned vehicles in great detail. Everything that exists in the world today, and Russia is confidently among the three leaders in the world in terms of the introduction of these new technologies, including transport.

— When will unmanned transport systems become a reality? Not in the order of the experiments that are being conducted now, but when will they become the norm?

— There are several tracks today. We are actively experimenting with unmanned technologies in public transport. Moscow and St. Petersburg are the leaders here. For example, there are unmanned trucks, there are already more than 80 units, they run along the M-11 highway and the Central Ring Road. Next year we expect them to enter the M-12 highway. This is to Kazan and with a view to Yekaterinburg. And the developments that our technology leaders are carrying out are now being used to update the software package, to unify the technical solutions that are used. More than 1 million cubic meters of cargo have already been transported by unmanned cargo transport. Therefore, our task is to format the legislative framework so that it becomes a daily occurrence, not only on the backbone network, but also for city streets.

Today we also have two ferries that run between the Service and Kaliningrad, and part of the route is also unmanned. Drones are very actively used in agriculture. And here, my colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture and I are working closely to unify the regulatory framework for the use of such vehicles. Well, here the main task is the upper level of security. Today we have technical solutions, and we will implement them by the end of the year. We need to make sure that each drone has its own unique identification number, and with the help of the GLONASS system, we can ensure security.

"We fully meet the needs of the transport complex with personnel"

— Do we have the personnel for this? For example, there is a shortage in the construction industry. The situation is similar in the field of information technology. And what is the personnel situation in the transport industry?

— First of all, I want to say that people are the basis of transport in our country. In total, about 5 million people work in the industry. It's a big army of people. And I'm not talking about transport builders, there's even more to them. And, of course, the fundamental thing here is history. Last year we celebrated 215 years of transport education in our country, so personnel training is at the forefront. By the way, the new national project that you mentioned, "Efficient Transport System," has been included in a new federal project for the first time as part of this national project, which is personnel training. Today, about 250,000 students study at transport universities in our country. And they improve their skills about the same amount. That is, half a million people are constantly in the perimeter of transport education.

Yes, we see shortages in certain areas, but today, in general, we can say that we fully meet the needs of the transport complex with qualified personnel. Moreover, as part of this new federal project, it is planned to update the simulators. And for the first time in many, many years, a training vessel should be built and put into operation by 2030. It is completely new, based on new principles, using all modern technologies, including unmanned use.

— And how conscious is the choice of studying at transport universities? In my youth, about 40 years ago, since I live not far from MIIT, I have nowhere to go, I will go to study at this university. It was a choice made out of desperation. What's going on now? How consciously do people come to the transport area?

— Today, MIIT is the Russian University of Transport, it is our flagship university and the flagship of transport education. You know, as a rule, transport workers are great traditions and dynasties. We honor history very highly, and once you encounter a transport, you don't leave this perimeter anymore. Therefore, after our meeting today, I will go to meet with our cadets in Makarovka, which is also a leading university, by the way, the only one in the country that trains specialists in managing nuclear icebreakers. The Northern Sea Route is also our priority today. This is our access to the global market. And, by the way, more than 60% of world trade today is carried out through shipping.

— How true is it that even the nine nuclear icebreakers available today are no longer enough?

— There is already not enough, there is a lot of interest, we see climate change, a change in the situation. The investments that have been made in this project on behalf of the President and by decision of the Government are already yielding results. Although we understand that there is still a long way to go, the task is to connect the northern rivers to this Northern Sea Route in order to ensure a cargo base and access for commodity producers to this route.

"We will strive for zero deaths on federal highways"

— The tourist season has begun, people are going on vacation, respectively, the traffic congestion is increasing, and the accident rate is increasing. How is this issue being resolved now, including by the Ministry of Transport?

— Yes, on June 17, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also noted this at the strategic session. Car tourism is growing. Today, significant funds are being spent by investors to combat this, and the government supports such projects. And, of course, the traffic congestion in the summer is noticeable, we can see that. Our task is to synchronize it this way and minimize the inconveniences that sometimes arise. But everything we do on the roads today is primarily aimed at ensuring safety. These include road widening, flow separation along axial barriers, and lighting. Here we work together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Traffic Police. There is a program to eliminate the so-called hotbeds of accidents.

Our joint commissions work in every constituent entity of the Russian Federation. If such a question arises, we decide together how to eliminate them. And there are already results. Over the past five years of the implementation of national projects, accidents on the federal road network as a whole have decreased by 15%. Dry figures, but these are 10,800 people who saved their lives. We fight for everyone who is driving a car or going out on the road, and we ensure safety. Therefore, if we talk about the prospects until 2050, about our target, we will strive for zero deaths on federal highways.

— What is happening with the development of transport infrastructure in the historical regions of Russia? Well, of course, first of all, the LPR, the DPR in the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions?

— Despite all the difficulties that are objectively present there today, first of all, of course, we are dealing with highways. And in recent years, more than 5,000 km have been repaired, restored and new bridges built. Moreover, the state-owned Avtodor company carried out work on the repair and construction of 2 thousand km of these roads. Of course, our main route is Novorossiya, and all attention is focused on it. By the way, today navigators are already offering tourists who travel by car to come to Crimea not only through the Krasnodar Territory.…

— And not through the Kerch Strait, but directly...

— And directly along the Novorossiya highway. And I recommend that motorists consider this safe route too. Today, our colleagues in new regions are creating comfortable conditions for the movement of motorists. And, of course, this is the development of railway traffic, tracks and platforms are being repaired. The Donetsk railway station has been restored, and the seaports. Mariupol and Berdyansk are in the perimeter of our attention today, we are engaged in the restoration of this infrastructure, because these are additional opportunities for businesses that are returning today.

— How much has the volume of traffic increased?

— It is difficult to assess now, but steady growth is taking place. With the improvement of the situation on the line of contact and with the distance of hostilities, we see how rapidly this infrastructure is developing.

— Again, returning to the holiday season, many are interested in the question of how the consequences of the tanker crash in the Kerch Strait will be eliminated, in particular, the lifting and disposal of their fragments and the prevention of further spillage?

— Yes, indeed, we are faced with a man-made accident as a result of a shipwreck. Two tankers ended up on the bottom with a cargo of M-100 fuel oil. There is no technology in the world today for lifting this fuel oil, extracting it from wrecked ships. Therefore, our engineers face a very difficult task, how to locate, first of all, the remains of these vessels, and then, without fail, remove the cargo itself from the tankers, and today there are more than 3,900 tons there — this is a significant mass — and then lift the vessels themselves. We started to solve this problem in stages. First of all, the so-called cofferdams are being made now, these are metal products that will cover the remains of ships.

These cofferdams have technological openings, through which divers and special equipment will be able to access, as a result of which this fuel oil will be heated to a liquid state. Then it will be placed on special vessels, and after the tanks are emptied and we understand that it is safe, these cofferdams will be lifted and disposed of. Then, according to standard technology, the remains of the ships themselves will be raised.

Work is currently underway, and according to our plan, we will have to complete this operation by the end of October. But today, given that the sea is warming up and the beach season has begun on the coasts of the Black and Azov Seas, almost every day, as soon as the weather permits, our divers descend to the remains of the ships and closely monitor the condition of the fuel oil on board. If a leak is detected, these cracks are caulked and safety is ensured.