Russia allocates USD 238 million of state aid to airlines to cover flight refunds

The Russian government will allocate USD 238 million of state aid to its airlines to cover refunds for passengers whose flights were canceled due to international sanctions placed on the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

Speaking to News Ru on April 14, 2022, Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin said: “The subsidies will be used to refund passengers the cost of tickets on routes that have been canceled due to external restrictions, which will save carriers their own working capital, which means there will be financial resources to ensure flight safety.” 

The government will also partly support local airports located in the southern and central parts of Russia. Airports will receive up to USD 18.2 million (1.5 billion rubles).  

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“It is extremely important now to support the infrastructure of airports and, of course, to keep qualified personnel there,” Mishustin said. 

Earlier in April 2022, the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ilya Torosov announced that in 2022, the government will gradually allocate a total of USD 3.75 billion (311 billion rubles) to support local airlines and airports as they continue to face international sanctions and operational restrictions amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.