Yakutia proposes cutting federal air subsidy route limit from 1,000 km to 600 km

Sakha Republic's State Assembly, Il Tumen, has proposed revising the conditions of a federal program that subsidises air travel between districts, so that all settlements in the Arctic districts have year-round flights. Under the main proposal, the maximum route length would drop from 1,000 km to 600 km, allowing all 14 socially significant Arctic routes to be included.

On 19 October 2026, Russian Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov told the State Duma budget and tax committee that federal subsidies for flights in the Sakha Republic and Khabarovsk Krai would be provided. He said the main condition is that distances between settlements in the region be 1,000–1,200 km.

Pavel Petrov, chair of Il Tumen's committee on economy, investment and entrepreneurship policy, said 100 km would hardly make a difference to travel, and the main goal is to remove a formal obstacle for Arctic residents. The proposal will be considered by the committee and then at the plenary session on 25–26 November; if approved, it will be sent to the federal centre.