‘Given the increasing competition among its airlines, Russia does not really need to introduce more hub airports,’ Russia’s Deputy Transport Minister Valeriy Okulov said at the 7th International Russian Wings conference.

Okulov explained some of the Russian airports simply failed to work, while others managed to keep up with the quality and could therefore hope to outlive the recession, ITAR-TASS quoted the executive as saying.

‘We just don’t need all these impressive-looking projects providing for numerous hubs, this isn’t going to happen.’ he observed.

‘A hub airport in the west of Russia and another one in the east is all we need. For instance, we could use Moscow, with its already developed airport infrastructure, and Khabarovsk or Vladivostok,’ the official noted.

Yekaterinburg-based Koltsovo Airport actually expected to have become a hub, with its entire development strategy based on this aspiration. This strategy had been approved by both the airport’s shareholders and the regional authorities.