Stary Oskol in Russia's southwest is set to resume commercial operations, with flights to Moscow Vnukovo starting March 6, 2017. According to a press statement from the Oskol Region Administration, an action plan was signed between the head of the administration, the director of the airport, and CEO of local airline Kompas to resume scheduled ops.

The first flights will be to Moscow three times a week, and may increase to daily if demand is strong. Kompas, which is a subsidiary of Vologda Air Enterprise (VGV, Vologda), will provide the service using one of its seven Yak-40s. Ticket prices will be set at RUB1000 (USD17) more than a comparable train ticket. Other destinations mooted are Simferopol, Sochi, Anapa, Abkhazia and Georgia.

Stary Oskol has a runway 11/29 of 1800 metres, which the airport director Igor Boev says is in a 'satisfactory' condition. It can accommodate four medium-range aircraft, and is capable of processing 30 passengers per hour.