Passenger traffic of Manas Airport decreased by 61.3% due to COVID-19 pandemic

Bishkek, Nov. 26, 2020. /Kabar/. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the passenger traffic of Manas International Airport (MIA) in January-September 2020 decreased by 61.3% compared to the same period last year.

According to the MIA press service, starting March regular domestic and international passenger air services have completely stopped in accordance with the order of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. The exceptions were cargo flights and charter flights related to the delivery of humanitarian cargo and evacuation of citizens.

Over 9 months, passenger traffic of Manas Airport decreased in comparison with the same period of 2019 - 1 million 49 thousand 667 people (last year-2 million 714 thousand 706 people). The decline is due to the closure of borders and restrictions imposed to combat the spread of coronavirus.

The number of foreign passengers decreased by 67.1% - 608 thousand 380 people against 1 million 846 thousand 840 last year. Domestic passenger flow decreased by 49.2% - 441 thousand 287 people against 867 thousand 866 last year.

The closure of international flights led to a significant drop in international flights - 7 thousand 834 flights (49.6% less), and on domestic routes - 3 thousand 883 flights (48.8% less). The total number of flights for the reporting period amounted to 11 thousand 717, which is 49.4% less than in 2019.

"Today Manas International Airport performs regular flights to Moscow, Dubai, Istanbul, Almaty and Tashkent, as well as domestic flights to Osh, Batken and Dzhalal-Abad. In addition, there are charter flights to cities in Russia. The most popular are still flights to neighboring countries (Russia)," the report says.