Kaliningrad airport offered as passenger, cargo transit point for Chinese airlines
KALININGRAD. June 11 (Interfax) – Khrabrovo Airport proposes to work with Chinese airlines, the Kaliningrad airport’s CEO, Alexander Korytny told reporters.
“Today we actively cooperate with the airlines of China, having made such a pivot to the East. We are working with five leading Chinese airlines through the government of Kaliningrad Region and the office of the country’s president. A number of documents have been worked out that could help us establish closer cooperation with partners through China’s leadership,” Korytny said.
The Russian side sees Khrabrovo more as a transit airport for Chinese airlines on the way to Western Europe and other destinations, for both passenger and cargo traffic. Kaliningrad could also become a layover point for Chinese tourists on their journey to other countries, Korytny said.
In the summer of 2023, Korytny said that the Federal Air Transport Agency had established an open skies regime at Khrabrovo with seventh freedom rights, the highest level. This makes it simpler for airlines to secure approval and permission for flights regardless of the number of designated flights as part of frequency parity between countries.
“We want to insert Kaliningrad into the already established air route between China, Moscow and St. Petersburg that operated before the pandemic. Some Chinese airliners made up to 60 flights per week. There is hope that the flow of Chinese tourists to the country will recover – it hasn’t reached pre-pandemic figures yet,” Korytny said at the time.
Khrabrovo, one of Russia’s 20 largest airports by passenger traffic, handled 4.3 million passengers in 2023. The airport’s terminals are owned by Roman Trotsenko’s Novaport Holding.