On take-off: Russia introduces a new aviation fee for passengers
A new aviation fee will be introduced in Russia: funds will be allocated to the airfield reconstruction fund. The rules of this collection have already been determined by the Ministry of Transport. Experts are convinced that attracting passengers to finance the modernization process will improve airport infrastructure. Izvestia found out whether the funds raised would be enough to upgrade the air harbors.
The flight is normal
The Ministry of Transport has approved the rules for a new aviation levy, the funds of which will be sent to the airfield reconstruction fund. The relevant draft order, which was reviewed by TASS, has already been prepared by the ministry. The rules may enter into force on March 1, 2026 and will be valid until March 1, 2032.
The fee will be 150 rubles per passenger. However, the formula defined in the order provides for the inflation rate and a correction factor, which is basically equal to one. It is specified that this coefficient can be changed by the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation.
According to the document, the airlines will pay. FSUE Administration of Civil Airports (Airfields) has been appointed as the collection operator, which will accumulate and use the funds.
Airports will be grouped into special groups. The money collected within each group will be deposited in a special bank account. They can only be used to improve the infrastructure of a particular group of airports.
The law on the introduction of fees from airlines for the construction and reconstruction of airport infrastructure was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 31, 2025. The new initiative will come into force on September 1.
The focus on airport modernization was made last year. In his message to the Federal Assembly, Putin instructed to modernize at least 75 airports over the next six years. Of these, 29 are in the Far East. This year, work will start in Cheboksary, Tilichiki, Barnaul, Lensk and Lipetsk.
Interior of the new Gelendzhik Airport Terminal
Airports are partially being reconstructed according to national projects. From 2019 to 2024, 35 airways were renovated.
The editorial board of Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. No response has been received at the time of publication.
It's not a big loss
The average fee amount will be 150 rubles. But for each airport, it will be calculated according to a special formula approved by the Ministry of Transport, the editor-in-chief of the portal reminds. Avia.ru Roman Gusarov. The result will depend on the characteristics of the air harbor, the state of its infrastructure and the need for reconstruction.
And, according to the Izvestia interlocutor, the increase in the ticket price does not require extensive discussion, since a conditional short flight, for example, in the direction of Moscow – St. Petersburg, costs about 4 thousand rubles today.
— And 4150 rubles is not the difference that will stop a person from flying or somehow affect his wallet, — the expert is convinced.
Maxim Fedosov, an expert in the field of transport, aviation and tourism, agrees with this point of view.
— In fact, now the passenger pays the airline's fare and the cost of airport fees on any ticket. That is, when buying, the passenger has two prices in the ticket. When adding these 150 rubles to the ticket, the passenger will still pay a flat rate, in fact, without noticing the increase," the Izvestia interlocutor claims.
Meanwhile, with high passenger traffic rates, this will allow accumulating significant funds that will be used for the reconstruction of the airfield, he notes.
It is important to take into account that the amount of the fee will be indexed to the inflation rate every year, says Gusarov. And the inclusion of this amount in the cost of air tickets may lead to a reduction in passenger traffic, admits industry expert Leonid Khazanov.
"Therefore, this decision should be discussed by the federal authorities in order not to harm those categories of passengers who do not have extra money," the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
Large-scale work
There are 262 airports in Russia, Maxim Fedosov recalls. Of these, 91 air harbors are airports of federal importance. To date, federal executive authorities are working to fulfill the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the reconstruction of airports.
The situation with their modernization in Russia is not bad, since the main federal network has been through a process of renewal in the previous decade and a half, Roman Gusarov emphasizes. When flying around the country, passengers see new terminals with modern infrastructure.
But the state of aviation ports in Russia varies, Leonid Khazanov points out. The situation is good in Moscow, but in remote regions of the country, some airports need to be repaired and expanded.
— And the funds that airports charge carriers for receiving aircraft, their maintenance and refueling, they do not have enough. Their volume depends on the number of flights, passenger traffic, and so on," the expert believes.
In general, the development of the airport is a three—way project, because there are different business entities on its territory, says Gusarov.
— Part of the airport's infrastructure belongs to the state. These are runways, aprons, lighting and air navigation equipment, and the like. The state is investing in the reconstruction of this part," he explains.
Terminals, parking lots, and hotels, in turn, are in private hands. They are managed by companies that invest their money by taking loans from banks, says Gusarov.
Local authorities are also investing in the development of airports. They are engaged in the reconstruction of highways, conduct electricity, modernize sewerage and water supply, adds the interlocutor of Izvestia.
But after the modernization of the airport, the question arises about the maintenance of this infrastructure, which requires periodic repairs. In addition, another reconstruction will be required after some time, he believes.
"Therefore, it was decided to introduce this airport fee, which, according to the calculations of the Ministry of Transport, should cover some part of the costs," Gusarov notes.
From the world by thread
The operator of the new collection is a subordinate organization of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Maxim Fedosov draws attention. The task of the institution is the reconstruction of airfields, which include runways, taxiways and aprons.
"This is done in order to make it easier to carry out the reconstruction of the airfield part, especially at those airports that have low traffic, and such a passenger fee has been introduced,— the Izvestia interlocutor points out. The amount should be enough, because it is an estimated value based on the assumption that passenger traffic will be increased to 121 million people per year.
The reconstruction of airfields and airports is a planned work, the expert emphasizes. A number of airports are being renovated by private investors. Those that are subordinate to the Federal Air Transport Agency are being reconstructed from the budget. Attracting passengers to finance this process will help improve airport infrastructure, he is convinced.
At the same time, the operator will have the opportunity to collect funds at one airport, but use them in another air harbor, Gusarov explains. This is important because there are profitable airports with large passenger traffic, and there are small ones that will not be able to raise funds for reconstruction. And in this case, the redistribution of funds between airports turns out to be very important, he explains.
— The required amount will be determined depending on what plans there are for the development of the air harbor. For example, if an airport is developing rapidly and its passenger traffic is growing, there is a need to build another terminal queue. And in this case, the funds collected earlier can be attracted," the Izvestia interlocutor believes.
Construction of a new terminal at Murmansk Airport
In his opinion, there will not be a big problem in the reconstruction of airports, since the airfield network in Russia is developing taking into account the projected traffic volumes.
— And these forecasts are still pretty good. According to them, passenger traffic today should be about 150 million people annually. However, it fell into a pandemic and is still recovering, now accounting for 105 million passengers," the expert cites statistics.
This means that the infrastructure is not overloaded yet and does not require urgent development and large investments. So, according to Gusarov, at the first stage, the funds received from the collection should be enough for modernization.
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