MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. The passenger air transportation in Russia exceeded 80 million passengers in the first nine months of 2023, which is up 11.15% year-on-year, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at the Transport of Russia forum.

"In nine months, Russian airlines transported over 80 million people. This is even higher than the forecast. The growth compared to the same period last year is 11.5%," Mishustin said.

The Prime Minister noted that the civil aviation has not only overcome the problems caused by Western sanctions, but is also actively developing.

"Civil aviation was able to overcome the main difficulties caused by sanctions and is now gaining momentum," said the Prime Minister.

He recalled the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin to increase passenger traffic to 103 million people by the end of the year. "This decision must be implemented," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister noted that "large-scale plans are being implemented to revive the domestic aviation industry, and airfield infrastructure throughout the country is being actively upgraded."

He drew attention to the fact that "dozens of airports are receiving modern runways capable of receiving any type of aircraft, including in Pevek, Magnitogorsk, Yakutsk," as a result "the regional route network is growing.".