Prospects for the development of Manas airport (Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan) in the context of overcoming the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: the key goal of the study is to analyze the activities of the Manas airport (Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan). The analysis was based on data from passenger traffic in 2009-2019, the number of flights received and sent in 2009-2019, as well as data from the airport's domestic and international route network. Discussion: based on the presented analysis, it was concluded that the increase in passenger traffic was due to an increase in traffic to existing destinations, as well as due to the opening of new international destinations. In the context of overcoming the crisis caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of temporary prohibitive and restrictive measures, the drop in passenger traffic at the end of operations in 2020 may reach 40% - 60%, which is the worst indicator since 2009. Expanding the route network by opening new routes connecting Bishkek with major regional cities of the Central Federal district, PFD, southern Federal district, Siberia and the Far East can serve as an important factor in the post-crisis development of Manas airport. Results: the result of the research is to build a model for the development of directions in the route network of Manas airport, indicating the airlines for which cooperation with the Republic of Kyrgyzstan may be promising. It should be noted that the entry of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan into the EAEU allows citizens of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Armenia to enter the territory of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan using internal identity documents for up to 90 days, which is an important factor in strengthening economic relations and an important component of tourism development.