The new Russian Business Aviation Association (RusBAA) has confirmed that the exceptional growth the country’s emerging business aircraft sector achieved in the past few years has been quickly rolled back to 2006 traffic levels as the global downturn has gripped the Russian economy. But speaking to the press on the opening day of Moscow’s JetExpo business aviation show on October 16, RusBAA chairman Leonid Koshelev predicted that the Russian industry is primed for recovery. However, on that same day Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told Parliament that the country’s economy will not emerge from the financial crisis until 2012.
Business aircraft flights in Russia today average about 10,000 per month. On this basis, this year is expected to result in a 14-percent dip in activity compared with the 140,000 total movements seen last year. In 2007, there were 125,000 movements, a 19-percent jump on the 2006 total of 105,000 movements.
