From January to September this year the traffic of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Elizovo) international airport (part of the Airports of Regions holding) has gone down by 28% in comparison with the similar period of 2019.
Overall more than 427 thou people became passengers of Kamchatka’s main airport during this period; of this amount 423,400 travelers used inland flights and 3,600 travelers – international flights. The traffic reduction on domestic routes stood at 27%, on international ones – at 72%. It should be noted that international air travels from the airport of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are still closed.
The traffic reduction was recorded even on traditionally popular routes: Moscow (-29.2%), Vladivostok (-32.9%), Khabarovsk (-41.3%). A minor growth was recorded on the route Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – Novosibirsk (+3.3%). Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was the route with positive dynamics, the traffic growth to this destination for nine months reaching 24.4%. The traffic reduction by 26-70% was a sad reality for all regional aviation routes in Kamchatka Territory.
For the initial nine months of this year airlines have performed 3,917 sorties (+11.3%), whereas the average occupancy of passenger seats has dropped by 16.6%. The route network of Elizovo airport in the reporting period numbered 18 regular destinations. These include flights to Irkutsk and Blagoveshchensk that have been opened this year.