KRASNODAR, July 9. /TASS/. The airport in Gelendzhik, a Russian resort town on the Black Sea, which is expected to resume operations shortly, will initially handle up to three flights per day, the airport’s General Director Ivan Taranchenko said during a meeting with the head of the resort city Alexey Bogodistov.

"There are certain limitations. I believe we will initially be handling no more than three flights at a time. Still, I consider it a major achievement that our city will become the second destination, after Sochi, to resume passenger flights," Taranchenko said in a video posted on Bogodistov’s Telegram channel.

Taranchenko also noted that airlines have already started reaching out to the airport. Once flight schedules are confirmed, carriers will open ticket sales, and passengers will be able to purchase tickets to Gelendzhik.

"This is truly a significant event for our resort city. The opening of our air gateway will greatly simplify transport and logistics accessibility not only for Gelendzhik but for the entire Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar region," Bogodistov added.

On July 9, the Russian Ministry of Transport announced that Gelendzhik Airport, which was closed in February 2022, may soon resume handling domestic flights. Later, the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) clarified that the airport would be ready to receive and dispatch civilian aircraft starting July 10. Regular flights may operate from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Moscow time.