MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. The Khrabrovo international airport in Russia's westernmost city Kaliningrad has introduced the “open skies” regime, lifting all restrictions on flights for foreign companies, Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said on Friday.

The “open skies” regime will be operational during three seasons: in summer 2015, in winter 2015/2016 and in summer 2016.

Foreign airlines can execute fifth freedom rights when flying from Kaliningrad to third countries, except for trans-Siberian transit aviation routes (flights from Europe to Asia via Russia), the agency said in a statement.

Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said earlier that granting the “open” status to Kaliningrad will enable Russian and foreign airlines to “use Kaliningrad as a transit point.”

This move will give the airport “an additional potential for development, an increase in the passenger flow and therefore, will decrease the tariffs for servicing and the price of airplane tickets.”

“Besides, the citizens of Kaliningrad will get extra opportunities to fly to various cities of Europe by using this status of the airport,” he said.

Khrabrovo is Russia’s third airport which has received the “open” status. The similar regime is already in force in Vladivostok, Russia’s Far East, and Sochi, on the Black Sea coast.