OREANDA-NEWS. October 28, 2010. Head of Karelia Andrei Nelidov has held a working meeting concerning resumption and development of flight connection in the republic. Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia Valentin Okulov, Assistant to the Head of the Republic of Karelia Valentin Luntsevich, Minister of Nature Management and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia Sergey Shtrakhov, Vnesheconombank’s Infrastructure Department Director Mikhail Poluboyarinov and others have taken part in the meeting.

The current density of railway passenger traffic announces demand for air transpor among the people living in Karelia (of course, at a reasonable price). Moreover, it may become an additional stimulus for growth of investment and tourist potential of the region.

As Valentin Okulov explained, the Ministry of Transport of Russia is the administrator of funds of the federal budget as related to infrastructure projects, therefore, attention will be focused on reconstruction and modernization of Petrozavodsk airport planned to be made by the end of 2012. Besides, the Ministry promised to render assistance in negotiations with air carriers. It is expected that flight connection will develop in two stages. First, it is necessary to arrange flights to Moscow, St.-Petersburg and Helsinki, then local flights within the republic will follow.