Fifteen airports located in Ural Federal District will be reconstructed, with 23bn RUR to be allocated for the purpose by 2015, Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Ural Federal District Evgeny Kuivashev announced at a recent meeting of the economic policy committee.

There are twenty-eight airports in the district altogether, seven of which are international ones, nineteen of which are regional ones, and two of which are just local ones.

‘Our most important task is to develop the short-haul and local air transportation services, this is why the Russian President’s commissions are all related to the achievement of these goals. The airports’ assets that used to belong to the state will be transferred to the federal constituencies,’ Kuivashev said.

According to the official, the President is now considering canceling the aircraft import duties, which will cover both new and used airplanes, since providing airlines with enough airplanes is one of the top priorities within the short-haul and local flights development program.