The Krasnoyarsk Region will invest about one billion rubles ($13 million) in renewing the air fleet of its carrier KrasAvia, TASS reported on Wednesday.
According to the Krasnoyarsk Region’s Minister of Transport Konstantin Dimitrov, air routes are the only communication for passengers and cargoes for the region’s many districts, including in the Far North. Presently, around 75% of KrasAvia’s fleet consists of Antonov An-24/26 aircraft, made in 1970.
“For 2020, the regional budget has reserved subsidies for air fleet renewal expenses at 995 million rubles,” the minister said, adding the region would buy three ATR-72-500 planes.
The KrasAvia airline was established in 2007 to replace the state-run Evenkia-Avia. The fleet is more than 50 aircraft. The company serves routes inside the region and to neighboring regions in Siberia and the Far North.
The company’s general director Andrey Egorov said in a recent interview that KrasAvia is feeling the impact of the coronavirus crisis, despite not being directly affected by it.
“The ban on international air connections under COVID-19 has not affected us directly since we don’t have any international routes. But this pandemic coincided with or caused an economic downturn, and with the rouble devaluation and other consequences, it has undoubtedly interfered with our business, because we also have currency-sensitive costs in our unit price,” Egorov said.
