MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/. The number of flights within Russia in the summer of 2023 will grow by at least 5%, while the air ticket prices will increase by 10%, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said on Tuesday.

"[As for] air ticket prices for the summer of this year - [there will be] an increase of 10% compared to prices a year earlier. We expect a 5% increase in tourist flow," Reshetnikov said during a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with the government.

In mid-April, at a meeting dedicated to preparing for the tourist season, Reshetnikov called on airlines to earn money through the mass availability of flights, and not through the additional sale of seats on board for "astronomical money."

Deputy Transport Minister Igor Chalik, in turn, reported at a meeting that air tickets for domestic flights this year could rise in price by 15-30% compared to 2022 amid a reduction in subsidies.

Last year, domestic airlines received 100 billion rubles ($1.2 bln) in subsidies to cover operating costs for flights within Russia under sanctions. This year, subsidies are provided at the level of 25.3 billion rubles ($316 mln). The last time the Federal Air Transport Agency announced a competitive selection for the provision of subsidies for domestic flights in January, the subsidy is provided for flights from November 2022 to March 2023.