With passenger traffic at Ukraine’s largest airports growing at double digits this year, Crimea’s main airport, Simferopol, is not prospering under Russian control

With passenger traffic at Ukraine’s largest airports growing at double digits this year, Crimea’s main airport, Simferopol, is not prospering under Russian control. This summer, Russian airlines plan to drop half a million seats, or 22% of the planned total. Kommersant blames the drop on Simferopol doubling airport fees last week, the opening of the Kerch Strait road bridge last month, and soft Russian demand. By contrast, air passenger traffic across mainland Ukraine increased by 28% last year.