Krasnodar Airport – open now?

If Russia were to award the “Airport-Stakhanovite” award, then the Sochi air harbor would take all the medals. Since the beginning of the Northern Military District and the closure of the main southern airports, Sochi has been playing the role of the main air hub, collecting and redistributing passenger flows from Russia and abroad, while experiencing an enormous load.

In 2022, 13 million citizens “flew” through Sochi, which is 4 times higher than in 2014. The slightest failure in the schedule can threaten passengers not just with a couple of hours of extra waiting, but with a real transport collapse. Both tourists and transport air carriers, whose activities sometimes depend on the delivery of vital goods and medicines, may be at risk.

Of course, limiting the operation of other airports in the South is not a whim, but a reasonable security requirement. But the question arises: the closure of which terminals is a necessity, and which ones are an irrational reinsurance?

For example, Krasnodar airport. Its opening would unload the Sochi air harbor by 5-10%. The capacity of the Krasnodar airport makes it possible to maintain a passenger flow of more than 100,000 people per month, optimizing transport logistics.

I foresee objections: what about security? It all depends on the routes – if you correctly think over the schemes of departure and arrival (including the restriction of flights at night), go-arounds, separation intervals, I think it is quite realistic to open the airport without exposing passengers to a threat.

At the same time, the M-4 Don highway will be unloaded and, as an additional advantage for tourists, it will be possible to organize flights to friendly countries. And this is another stream of money to the budget – albeit a small one, but extremely relevant in the current situation, when every ruble counts.

Let’s not lose sight of such an important point as subsidies. At the moment, the salary of employees of closed airports is financed from the federal budget of the Russian Federation. In fact, these are expenses that can be avoided.

I am not the only one who votes with both hands for the opening of the Krasnodar airport. Regional administration officials repeatedly tried to convey this idea to higher officials, but, alas, it did not reach the right people.

I believe that there are no objective reasons to keep the doors of the Krasnodar airport closed, because millions of people are looking forward to the resumption of air traffic.