MINSK, 13 July (BelTA) – There are plans to set up a low-cost airline based in Grodno, Transport and Communications Minister Aleksei Avramenko told the STV Channel, BelTA has learned.
“We are considering the establishment of another Belarusian airline that will offer even lower fares. This move is expected to promote competition. We are considering the Grodno airport for this purpose, thus the new company is to be based in Grodno. The final decision will be made in the nearest future,” the minister noted.
Aleksei Avramenko emphasized that Belarus is open for cooperation with low-cost carriers. “We signed an agreement and a decision was made, but it came to a standstill. I hope that the talks will resume. Naturally, we actively invite low-cost airlines to use our regional airports. However, we should also utilize the airport in Grodno. This will be of interest to the local authorities. We need to select certain destinations, for example Israel and schedule flights there,” the minister said.
He also spoke about the promotion of water transport in Belarus. As of today, there are 2,000km of navigable waters in the country, however the problem is that their depth is unstable. “There are many discussions around the Pripyat River. There are proposals to build a sluicing system and to raise the water level. However, environmentalists and public associations are not happy about these plans, therefore everything is rather complicated,” he noted.
The minister informed that the structure of water transport is changing in Belarus. A water transport administration has been established recently to systematize and analyze the water fleet, to take stock of the reserves and to identify the niche Belarus can take in this market segment. “We have joined the International Maritime Organization and we will promote the vessel registration service. This is the reserve we can utilize, because we have people who are competent in this matter and who can do this work,” Aleksei Avramenko added.