Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has instructed his government to introduce legislation abolishing value-added tax for domestic flights to Russia's Far East. This follows a similar step taken earlier in regards to the Crimea, which despite a lack of international recognition, is considered to be a domestic destination by Russia.

According to a government's statement, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, and the Far East Development Ministry have until March 1, 2018, to introduce the appropriate legislation. The authorities hope that such a move will boost air connectivity in the country's Far East.

Medvedev also tasked the government, together with national air transport regulator, Rosaviatsia, and state-owned banks, to devise financial mechanisms for the development of airports in the region.

Rosaviatsia statistics show that the largest airports in the Russian Far East are Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo, and Irkutsk International. According to the ch-aviation capacity module, Aeroflot and S7 Airlines are the largest operators at these facilities.