Russia honors Air Force Day with festivities
The Khabarovsk Krai celebrated the Day of the Air Force on its traditional date, the third Sunday of August. The celebration recognised the region's significant contribution to the development of the airforce industry, with the Khabarovsk Novy Airport playing a pivotal role.
Dmitry Demezhin, the Governor of the Khabarovsk Krai, congratulated pilots, engineering and technical staff, flight attendants, and aviation infrastructure specialists on their hard work and dedication. He emphasised the importance of the slogan "No remote areas in the Khabarovsk Krai," approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in relation to aviation.
The Khabarovsk Novy Airport served nearly 2.5 million passengers in 2024, demonstrating its significant role in transporting passengers. The airport operates flights to over 40 destinations, including domestic flights within Khabarovsk Krai and neighbouring areas, such as Chita, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, and Okhotsk, operated by carriers like IrAero and Khabarovsk Airlines.
Additionally, the airport offers seasonal international charter flights, for example to Nha Trang, Vietnam with Ikar airline. However, as of August 2025, there are no regular international scheduled flights to farther destinations such as Taiyuan, China. The airport functions mainly as a regional and secondary hub, with passenger traffic exceeding 1.8 million in 2015.
Dmitry Demezhin noted that the geography of flights beyond the Khabarovsk Krai is expanding, indicating a promising future for the airport and the region's aviation industry. The airport continues to facilitate this expansion, serving as a connecting point for the Russian Far East with increased attention to logistical pathways to international markets like China, Vietnam, and India, but these are mainly through connecting flights or special charters rather than direct scheduled flights from Khabarovsk Novy.
Looking back, the first "Superjet" took off in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, 17 years ago, marking a significant milestone in the region's aviation history. This year, an experimental model of a liner with domestic PD-8 engines flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, signifying continued innovation and development in the industry.
The international terminal at the airport named after Gennady Ivanovich Nevelskoy is in operation, ready to accommodate the growing number of passengers and expanding flight network. The celebration in the Khabarovsk Krai recognised these past achievements and looked forward to a future of continued growth and progress in the airforce industry.
[1] Source: Khabarovsk Novy Airport [4] Source: Russian Aviation Insider [5] Source: FlightGlobal
- Dmitry Demezhin, in his congratulatory speech, also acknowledged the indispensable role of the Khabarovsk Novy Airport in sports initiatives, as it operates numerous flights to cities hosting significant sports events within the Khabarovsk Krai and neighboring areas.
- The expansion of geography of flights and the increasing attention to logistical pathways to international markets like China, Vietnam, and India, opens up opportunities for sports teams from the Khabarovsk Krai to participate in more international tournaments, thereby elevating the sports industry in the region.
