OREANDA-NEWS. In accordance with RF Government Regulation No.1242 dated December 25, 2013, the government subsidy programme applies to the carriers performing regional flights on the subsidized destinations as specified therein and obtaining investment from the federal budget. The support will be granted to the airlines operating flights on the routes from Novosibirsk to Bratsk (the Irkutsk region) and Kargasok (the Tomsk region). As in the previous year, the airlines operating flights from Novosibirsk Tolmachevo airport to Abakan, Gorno-Altaisk, Kyzyl, Novokuznetsk, Omsk, Strezhevoi and Tomsk will continue benefitting from the subsidies.

As reference, in 2013 the state support provided by means of the federal budget was available for the airlines operating flights on the regional routes specified in RF Government Regulations No.265 dated March 27, 2013 and No.509 dated 18 June, 2013. Under these projects, the support was granted to the airlines operating flights from Novosibirsk to the cities of the Siberian and the Ural Federal Districts.

Within the framework of both regulations in force, the overall regional passenger traffic at NOVOSIBIRSK International Airport exceeded 39.4 thousand people.

The majority of regional flights are performed due to the state support programmes. Moreover, flight connections between Novosibirsk and the cities of Siberia and the Urals which were lost more than 10 years ago have been restored.

Development of regional route network is one of the priority areas of Novosibirsk Tolmachevo airport. Due to the opening of regional flights, transfer passengers from other regions are able to use an extensive route network of NOVOSIBIRSK International Airport which covers over 90 destinations in Russia and abroad.

NOVOSIBIRSK International Airport is the largest air hub in Russia east of the Urals on major transit routes between Europe and Asia. The domestic terminal capacity makes up to 1,800 passengers per hour, while the capacity on international flights - up to 750 passengers per hour. The airport has two runways of ICAO I and II Categories. In 2013 the passenger traffic exceeded 3.748 mln passengers and cargo traffic totalled 29.9 thousand tons of cargo and mail handled. In 2014 the airport expects to serve over 4.2 mln passengers and handle over 32 thousand tons of cargo and mail.