Russian airlines had almost half as many passengers last year

RUSSIAN airlines carried 46 percent fewer passengers in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the air traffic agency announced. About 69.17 million passengers flew to Russian airlines last year, Rosaviation reported, citing preliminary data. In December, Russian airlines carried more than five million passengers, down 43 percent from the same month last year, the agency said. Russia canceled international flights last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and some routes were subsequently re-established. Domestic passenger traffic has fallen sharply due to restrictive health measures, but demand is gradually recovering.