The severe domestic energy crisis has officially grounded Russia’s aviation sector right at the absolute peak of the summer tourist season. Despite a desperate government ban on jet fuel exports enacted on June 1, wholesale fuel prices surged by 8.4% in just one month, marking a staggering 28% increase since the beginning of the year.
Southern Infrastructure Hits the Wall: At regional airports—especially across the heavily restricted Russian South—prices have ballooned by up to 64% since early June.
Going Under the Knife: The crisis is no longer just about soaring inflation; the fuel simply does not exist. Aleksan Mkrtchyan, Vice President of Russia’s Alliance of Travel Agencies (ATA), confirmed that flights are facing mass cancellations because fueling companies have rationed supply by 20% to 30% for all carriers across the board.
Regional airlines like Azimuth have openly declared an acute crisis, warning that not a single carrier is receiving the fuel capacity required to operate. These severe fuel restrictions are now hitting the remaining international carriers that haven’t yet boycotted the country—unlike El Al and Air Arabia, which already completely halted their flights following the damning safety risk warnings issued by ICAO.
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