The Russian government and state technology conglomerate Rostec are discussing a proposal to introduce a new fee on airline passenger tickets to support the leasing and operation of new Russian-built aircraft.
Under the proposal, reported by Russian newspaper Kommersant citing sources familiar with the initiative, the surcharge would apply to both domestic and international flights. The fee is intended to help domestic air carriers acquire and operate home-grown passenger jets scheduled for future delivery.
Discussions remain at an early stage, and officials have not yet finalized the size of the payment. However, sources cited by the newspaper outlined two possible rate structures currently under consideration.
Fee details and expected revenue
One source indicated that domestic flights could collect 500 rubles per ticket, while international flights would incur a 1,000-ruble charge. A second source stated that the figures under discussion are higher, at 700 rubles for domestic routes and 2,000 rubles for international departures.
Based on passenger traffic figures from 2025, the fee could generate between 68 billion and 84.5 billion rubles annually. The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has been preliminarily designated as the operator of the payment system.
Under the draft plan, the transport ministry would transfer the collected funds to leasing companies to cover the price gap between manufacturing costs and preferential delivery rates offered to carriers. The funds would also go directly to airlines to offset the high operating expenses associated with domestic airliners.
Aircraft subsidies and production targets
The funding initiative follows a decision in July 2026, when the Russian government approved allocating 115 billion rubles from the National Wealth Fund for preferential leasing of domestic aircraft. The sovereign wealth fund is managed by the government to support national strategic projects and economic stability.
A source close to the transport ministry specified that aviation manufacturers are expected to reduce aircraft production costs several times over after 2030, bringing expenses down to levels comparable with foreign competitors. Industry officials expect technical shortcomings to be resolved by that time, enabling mass production and export shipments.
However, one source emphasized that the ticket fee could still be dropped in favor of other support mechanisms. Industry experts warned that higher ticket prices risk driving down passenger numbers and worsening financial stress for carriers, suggesting direct support from the state budget might be the optimal solution.
Domestic aircraft fleet development
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that the country's new domestic airliners, including the MS-21, SJ-100, and Il-114-300, already surpass Western counterparts. Putin requested that manufacturers speed up the delivery of these aircraft to domestic airlines.
The aircraft models represent Russia's main domestic passenger jet programs. The Il-114-300 regional turboprop received a limited type certificate in June 2026. Official certification for the MS-21 medium-range airliner and the SJ-100 regional jet is scheduled for 2027.
