Policy Issues of the Development of the Civil Aviation in the Regions of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia

The article contains an analysis of the current situation in the organization of air passenger traffic in the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia (FEFD) as an element of ensuring national security of the country. At the first stage of the research the core Russian sectoral strategic documents were analyzed in order to consider the main priorities of the development of the industry in the macroregion. These factors are development of key air hubs of the macroregion, their incorporation into the international system; development of local air traffic; development of the aircraft industry. At the second stage of the research, the analysis of key indicators of the state of the aviation industry in the FEFD was made. These indicators contain the number of interregional and intraregional routes, the state of the fleet, etc. The analysis took place in 2021 and 2022 in order to assess the dynamics of the regional civil aviation transformation. Basing on the research it was found out that interregional air communication within the FEFD was intensified between 2021-2022 as a consequence of the elaboration of the industrial and economic life of the regions, the development of interstate relations in the border territories and the growth of tourist flow. However, a similar effect is not observed concerning intraregional directions, the variety of routes is growing slightly within all subjects of the FEFD. Also the key problems hindering the further development of the industry in the regions of the FEFD have been identified: the significant age of the fleet; the active use of aircraft produced by the “unfriendly” countries, which complicates the maintenance of equipment; low rates of deliveries of modern domestic planes and helicopters to routes within the region.