On Friday, Russian civil aviation officials announced that all airports that were closed following the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine are ready to reopen, pending final approval from the Defense Ministry.

In February 2022, flights were halted at 11 airports located in southern and central Russia due to safety concerns after President Vladimir Putin ordered military action in Ukraine. Since then, three of those airports have resumed operations.

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsia, informed the state news agency TASS that the remaining eight airports are fully prepared to reopen, but emphasized that the Defense Ministry must provide authorization before flights can recommence.

“We maintain ongoing communication with the Defense Ministry,” Yadrov stated.

Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin noted this week that efforts are being made to restart services at the airports as soon as federal security agencies issue the necessary approvals.

The Defense Ministry has not yet provided any updates regarding the potential resumption of flights at the eight airports, which include those in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions, as well as the annexed territory of Crimea.

Rosaviatsia has managed to maintain staffing levels at approximately 90% of what they were before 2022 across ten southern airports and received 11 billion rubles (around $139 million) last year to compensate for losses incurred during the airport closures.