Opening the meeting, the Minister of Transport said that in 2012, passenger traffic and passenger carriage figures increased by 17.4% and 15.5%,respectively on 2011 to 195 billion passenger-kilometres and 74 million passengers.
The minister drew the attention of the Federal Agency for Air Transport leadership to the need to ensure uninterrupted and regular flights, and reliable operation of airfield and air navigation facilities when holding the 22nd Winter Olympic Games and the 11th Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi, and the 27th World Summer Games in Kazan in 2013.
The protection of the lives and health of passengers, and of transport infrastructure against illegal interference, is a priority, Maxim Sokolov said. To this end, more efficient and full-scale use of budget allocations for transport safety is necessary.
Yet another priority for 2013 is to overcome delays on the federal targeted programmes ordered by the Federal Agency for Air Transport, he said. The federal targeted programme , as well as additional measures, must be implemented unfailingly, the minister stressed. Mr Sokolov paid special attention to the federal targeted programme Modernisation of the Unified System of Air Traffic Organisation, and to completing the construction and equipping the new Moscow Flight Control Centre.
