MOSCOW, Jun 9 (PRIME) -- The government has earmarked over 57 billion rubles for subsidies to the aviation industry in 2023, Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev said in an interview to Rossiya 1 television channel aired on Friday.
“Even this year, if we take into account the amount of subsidies that the aviation industry receives, it will exceed 57 billion rubles, of which 25.3 billion rubles were disbursed for passenger transportation, meaning the airlines receive money for their passenger turnover,” he said.
From November 2022 through March 2023, the Russian air carriers received 25.3 billion rubles of subsidies. The 25 billion rubles that the government plans to use to subsidize flights will also be spent on flights in the regions, including flights of Far Eastern airline Aurora. The government also allocated 2.5 billion rubles to support the 11 closed southern airports, Savelyev said.
Also, the ministry continues joint work with the airlines on acquisition of aircraft from foreign leasing companies, and bought 10 planes for Aeroflot.
“The most surprising thing here is that we have money and the foreign leasing company are willing to sell the aircraft so that everything is clear for everyone. But the foreign companies are waiting for an approval from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The U.S. permitted the buyout for the American leasing companies, and we bought their aircraft, I mean these 10 aircraft of Aeroflot. We have the money, and now we are waiting for a permit from the Europeans to give them our money and own the aircraft officially,” he said.
Out of the 1,162 passenger aircraft that Russia has, only 7 have been partially unequipped, and they should be restored very soon, he added.
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