Mishustin opened a terminal in the North Caucasus: but not all problems have been solved

Mikhail Mishustin inspected the new terminal of the Mineralnye Vody airport during his visit to Stavropol Krai

During a working visit to Stavropol Krai, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin inspected the new terminal of Mineralnye Vody Airport, the largest in the North Caucasus. The building's façade features a silhouette of Lermontov, while inside there are telescopic ramps and automatic baggage handling systems. "Modern, comfortable, convenient," the prime minister assessed, but a couple of hours later, at a meeting on the development of the airfield network, the conversation turned to more than just achievements. Passengers are asked to prepare themselves: the new fee will provoke a rise in ticket prices.

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The head of Rosaviatsiya Dmitry Yadrov reported on plans to reconstruct 28 airports under concessions: investors will invest 124 billion rubles, but will get it back through a new fee from passengers - 150 rubles per ticket. Mishustin clarified: "So people will feel it?" - "Yes," Yadrov answered.

The amendments to the Air Code are to come into force on September 1. Meanwhile, Mineralnye Vody will receive a test flight from Moscow on May 14.

The Prime Minister's plane landed in Mineralnye Vody on the afternoon of May 6. Outside the window is the steppe, on the horizon are the silhouettes of the Caucasus Mountains, and straight ahead is the new airport building with a giant profile of Lermontov on the façade. "A calling card," say local officials. Inside is glass, concrete and emptiness: the terminal has not yet opened, the first passengers will arrive only on May 14. But Mishustin has already appreciated the "modern and comfortable" design, and at the same time reminded that similar airports will appear throughout the country - 75 by 2030.

The official opening is on May 15. "There will be a large tourist flow here," Mishustin is confident. "Kavminvody is a place where passengers flock. I hope the new airport will give impetus to even more people coming here to live, work and study."

Expectations are high: passenger traffic in Mineralnye Vody has tripled in recent years, and the new terminal, built for 15.3 billion rubles, should accommodate up to 5 million people a year. The problem is that the region itself is not ready for such an influx. According to data for 2025, housing prices in the resort area have increased by 17-19%, and the number of rooms is increasing slowly. "The infrastructure does not meet demand," admits Transport Minister Roman Starovoit.

At a meeting on the development of the airfield network, the conversation quickly moved from tourism to finance. Yadrov reported on concession schemes: 28 airports will be reconstructed with the involvement of private investment, but the investors will have to pay back the money at the expense of passengers. "The tariff burden is 150 rubles per ticket," he explained. Mishustin asked again: "So people will feel it?" - "Yes," the head of Rosaviatsia answered.

The mechanism has already been thought out: the fees will be distributed between airports of one holding to avoid a sharp increase in prices in small cities. For example, in Chita the surcharge could have been 700 rubles, but thanks to the "boiler method" it was reduced to an average of 150. The amendments to the law have been agreed upon with the Ministry of Finance and the FAS, and they will be applied from September 1.