MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Foreign airlines scaled up transit flights over the Russian airspace by 8% from January 2023, the press service of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency told reporters.
"The Federal Air Transport Agency notes an increase in transit flights. Using the shortest routes over the territory of Russia, foreign airlines of the Southeast and Asia are gradually scaling up their air transportation through the Russian airspace. An increase in daily transit flights of airlines is noted since the start of January 2023, +8% from January 1 to February 20, 2023," the press service said.
The most active in flights are Chinese air carriers - about 60 flights per day, followed by Air India (20 flights per day) and Belavia (16 flights daily), the air regulator said.
"The Vietnam’s airline Hang Khong Viet Nam and the Philippine Air Lines started transit flights across the Russian airspace. When making transit flights via Russia, foreign airlines of the Southeast and Asia have significant economic advantages versus airlines of ‘unfriendly’ countries, whose flights to/from Russia are suspended at present due to sanctions," the press service added.