Russia-India Air Passenger Traffic Rises 12% in H1 2026

MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. Air passenger traffic between Russia and India increased by 12% in the first six months of 2026, the Russian Transport Ministry said following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which were also attended by Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin.

"Air passenger traffic between Russia and India increased by 12% in the first six months of this year," the ministry said.

The ministry added that the two leaders discussed prospects for developing bilateral cooperation, including in the transport sector. Particular attention was paid to expanding maritime shipping between Russia and India via the Northern Sea Route. The two sides noted the importance of training personnel for the NSR, drawing on the expertise of Russian transport universities.