The national air carrier Belavia Belarusian Airlines is considering a possibility to launch low-cost flights from regional airports. The plans were made public by Director of the Aviation Department of the Belarusian Transport and Communications Ministry Artem Sikorsky during his interview with the STV TV channel. “We are considering low-cost business models for Belavia. We have appropriate aircraft and regional airports that can offer low tariffs. We are also working on the geography of flights – thinking about low-cost flight destinations a passenger may choose,” Artem Sikorsky said. Earlier, the Aviation Department signed a memorandum with the Civil Aviation Administration of Hungary. The document allowed Wizz Air to operate flights both to Minsk National Airport and regional airports. Wizz Air is now in talks with Minsk National Airport on service conditions and tariffs. According to the official, low-cost companies, as a rule, ask for certain subsidies to keep their fairs low. “We are not ready to provide subsidies to foreign airlines, but we are willing to offer them comfortable operation terms,” Artem Sikorsky explained. Recall that Wizz Air was expected to start a direct flight from Minsk to Budapest this spring. However, plans seem to change as the airline is yet to respond to the notice about Minsk Airport’s readiness to include their flights to a summer timetable. The Ministry of Transport explained that the final decision is with the airline. The summer flight timetable is expected to come in force on 29 March. Belarus Ministry of Transport earlier stated its interest in low-cost flights to regional cities of Belarus. Besides, it is currently working on a program that will introduce a visa-free regime at regional airports.
