Flight network: Russia aims to expand the geography of direct flights to Asian countries

Russia intends to expand the geography of direct flights to Asian countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said in an interview with TASS. Izvestia investigated which Asian countries are being considered for opening new direct flights, how this will affect the tourist flow and business ties, as well as how quickly new routes can be expected to appear.

Possible directions

The main tourist destinations are already open and have direct flights, but new routes are not being developed due to low demand, ATOR Vice President Artur Muradyan told Izvestia. In addition, foreign airlines avoid flights to Russia because of the risk of secondary sanctions.

"The main difficulty now is not so much the shortage of aircraft, but the fact that the long—haul fleet is used in the most profitable areas, rather than in those where demand is not obvious," he said.

There are already direct flights, for example, to Indonesia and the Philippines, Artur Muradian recalled. An additional long-haul fleet is required to launch flights from the central part of the country.

According to him, Malaysia looks the most likely among the new destinations — negotiations are underway, and the chances of opening flights are estimated to be relatively high, but there are no specific agreements yet. In general, there is no significant news on the topic yet.

The prospects for the development of flights to Southeast Asia remain positive, Yuri Barzykin, Vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT), told Izvestia. The number of destinations and flights is increasing every year. There are already more than forty direct flights from Russia. Further growth is expected in the near future. Both tourist routes and transit opportunities are expanding.

The situation in the Middle East has significantly affected the air transportation market. The usual flight routes have changed.

— Part of the transit flows has been redistributed. Some airports have temporarily stopped accepting flights. This led to the search for alternative ways and new logistical solutions," he said.

Against this background, the role of other transit destinations is increasing. Baku is actively developing as a transfer hub. The number of flights via Istanbul is increasing.

— China is also increasing its presence. The number of both direct and transit flights through Chinese airports is growing. It has become easier to reach a number of distant destinations through China, including the islands of the Indian Ocean," said Yuri Barzykin.

The industry, he said, is facing a fuel shortage problem. This factor puts additional pressure on carriers. However, there are currently no mass flight cancellations. Airlines still have a certain margin of stability. If the situation stabilizes, further development of the route network is expected.

Vietnam is one of the most dynamic destinations. The number of routes and departure cities is growing.

— Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Irkutsk are among them. Other regions are also being connected," the expert said. — Even in conditions of fuel restrictions, flights continue to be operated. Further expansion is expected as the situation improves.

The spring tourist flow is traditionally associated with holidays and festive periods, he recalled. Egypt occupies a significant share in the structure of demand. Thailand holds a significant position. China is gradually increasing its share. Vietnam is also strengthening its position.

Geographical expansion

Russia is considering increasing the number of direct flights to Asian countries, primarily to China, Ivan Abramov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, told Izvestia. After the mutual cancellation of visas, there has been a noticeable increase in the tourist flow, as well as an increase in flight prices.

"Increasing the number of routes, especially from cities in the Far East, will help make travel more accessible," the senator believes. — It is planned to open a new airport in Blagoveshchensk in the near future, and negotiations are underway to expand the geography of flights in Southeast Asia.

China remains a key destination: an increase in the number of flights and destination cities is expected, and Chinese airlines are also interested in flights not only to Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also to other Russian cities, including regions of Siberia and the Far East, the politician confirmed. In addition to China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines are being considered.
"The expansion of the route network should lead to an increase in tourism and strengthen business ties," Ivan Abramov is convinced. — Increasing the number of destinations will create more travel options and lower peak prices by distributing demand.

In his opinion, Russian airlines are generally ready to increase the number of international flights, which are traditionally considered more profitable than domestic ones. There is a development plan that provides for the gradual introduction of new aircraft on routes. At the same time, not only Russian, but also foreign airlines will participate in transportation, although the main share will probably remain with domestic ones.

The first new routes may appear in the summer, although their number will be limited at first, the politician said.

— In the future, a gradual increase in the number of destinations is expected, with schedule updates approximately every six months. Attempts have also been made to negotiate the resumption of flights with Japan, but so far there has been no response, although the situation may change in the future," he said.

The Asia-Pacific region is considered as one of the most promising and predictable macro-regions for the development of air transportation from an economic point of view, Andrei Zhukovsky, a leading researcher at the Institute of Regional Economics and Inter-Budgetary Relations at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.

"In addition to the already popular destinations such as Vietnam and China, new routes look promising — Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Tokyo, Sapporo and Osaka," he said.

The Far Eastern cities of Yuzhno—Sakhalinsk, Blagoveshchensk, Chita, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky have significant untapped potential, which can become important transport hubs for the development of international flights, the expert believes.

The development of such a route network can significantly increase the profitability of air transportation, he is confident. In addition, the focus on departures from Far Eastern airports will contribute to the growth of tourism and business activity in both directions on a mutually beneficial basis. This also corresponds to the objectives of a more even and balanced development of the country, including within the framework of the instructions following the results of the Eastern Economic Forum in 2025.

— As for the timing of the launch of new routes, the destinations to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok are considered the most realistic in the near future, taking into account the current international situation and the development of foreign policy relations with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, - says Andrei Zhukovsky.

The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not provided responses to Izvestia's requests by the time of publication.