Contribution of general aviation to ensuring transport accessibility to the Arctic regions: the challenges and areas of focus

Abstract

The article defines the dominant position of general aviation to ensure passenger transportation, to render the sanitary aviation and the Ministry of Emergencies services, taking into consideration the natural and climatic conditions of the Russian Federation Eastern Arctic. It analyzes the current state of the transport system of this territory, which is characterized by the railway communication lack, available roads for only seasonal purpose – winter roads, and the key role of water transport in the organization of freight transport based on the complex long-term (more than one year) multimodal delivery schemes, extremely high cost of regional and local air transportation. The purpose of the study is to analyze the state of the general aviation system in the Eastern Arctic of Russia and identify the factors, constraining its development, and to formulate proposals for their elimination. The article examines the state of the operating airport network, route network and operators’ fleet of aircraft – in service which render services to these territories. The limited airport network does not provide aviation accessibility to each settlement of the Arctic zone and causes transport discrimination. The lack of scheduled flights in local communication leads to increased waiting time for transportation and reduces demand. The outdated general aviation fleet with low economic efficiency is outcompeted by the helicopter service. The cost of a helicopter flight hour in the Arctic is 500–650 thousand rubles. The article considers the legal restrictions, that are associated with overstated requirements for companies and aviation enterprises serving the general aviation activities and hinder the development of local air transportation in the Arctic zone. Based on the analysis of foreign experience, the areas of focus to improve the Russian legislation, regulating the general aviation activities, which will allow us to reduce the costs to maintain the airport network, thereby stimulating its expansion for the purpose of increasing the level of transport accessibility to remote settlements of the Arctic zone, are proposed. The proposed measures to improve the air transport system in the Arctic zone are aimed to achieve the formulated targets.