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Transport was an important part of the USSR's economy, and the country had a large pipeline, road, and air network. The Soviet government decided that air travel would be the best means of transportation for people and cargo, and so, in 1932, the 'Dobrolyot' voluntary air fleet society was transformed into the Main Civil Air Fleet Directorate, known as Aeroflot, the USSR's official (and only) airline. By the 1980s, most airports in the USSR were facing capacity problems and a lack of modernisation.
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What You'll Learn
The Aeroflot monopoly
Aeroflot's formation served three main purposes: to operate and maintain an air transportation system, to provide different types of services such as aerial surveying and forest-fire fighting, and to contribute to the development of the Soviet Union's aircraft industry. By the time of its formation, the Soviet Union had already developed its own aircraft, including the U-2, PS-9, and K-5.
Despite being the largest civil aviation industry in the world, Aeroflot faced inefficiencies until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. By the 1980s, most airports in the Soviet Union were experiencing capacity problems, with outdated infrastructure and a lack of modernisation. For example, the Lviv airport had to cope with an average of 840 passengers each day, despite being built to handle only 200. Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow was the only airport in the USSR to be fully computerised.
Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Aeroflot remained a powerful force in Russian aviation. In 2010, the company's head, Vitaly Saveliev, met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to discuss Aeroflot's intention to take the lead in the Russian market of airlines. At the time, Aeroflot already controlled 25% of Russia's aviation market and 42% of the Russian market of regular international transportation, with a route network spanning 856 points in 169 countries.
In 2015, Aeroflot made several attempts to take over other airlines and further solidify its monopoly power in the Russian aviation industry. The company also created a new low-cost subsidiary, Pobeda, monopolising the no-frills sector.
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Airport capacity problems
The Soviet Union had 7,192 airports, of which only 1,163 had paved surfaces. By the 1980s, most airports were facing capacity problems. For example, Lviv airport had to manage an average of 840 passengers per day, despite being built to accommodate only 200. Another significant issue was the lack of modernisation; Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow was the only airport in the USSR to be fully computerised.
The strain on airport capacity was likely due to the Soviet government's focus on air travel as the primary means of transportation for people and cargo. This decision was made on the basis that building a series of airports in isolated parts of the country would be more economically efficient than constructing thousands of miles of roads and railways. The number of aircraft manufacturing facilities grew from twelve to thirty-one between 1928 and 1932, while the annual output of airplanes increased from 608 to 2,509 during the same period.
The Soviet government's decision to prioritise air travel resulted in a rapid expansion of the aviation industry. Aeroflot, the national airline and air service of the Soviet Union, was formed in 1932 and became the official (and only) airline in the USSR. By the 1970s, Aeroflot had air traffic agreements with 47 countries, and by the end of 1965, a majority of international flights to the USSR were arriving through Sheremetyevo International Airport.
Despite the early emphasis on air travel, the Soviet transport sector continued to be plagued by problems due to outdated infrastructure, lack of investment, corruption, and poor decision-making by central authorities. The demand for transport infrastructure and services was rising, but the Soviet authorities failed to meet this growing demand. This resulted in a chain reaction, with the underdeveloped road network leading to increased demand for public transport and contributing to the capacity issues at airports.
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Lack of modernisation
The USSR's civil aviation industry, represented solely by Aeroflot, was the largest in the world. However, it was plagued by inefficiencies until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. This was due to outdated infrastructure, a lack of modernisation, lack of investment, corruption, and poor decision-making by the central authorities.
By the 1980s, most airports were facing capacity problems. Lviv airport, for example, had to cope with an average of 840 passengers each day, despite being built to handle 200. The lack of modernisation was also evident, with Sheremetyevo International Airport (Moscow's main airport) being the only airport in the USSR to be fully computerised.
The Soviet Union had 7,192 airports, of which only 1,163 had paved surfaces. The road network remained underdeveloped, with dirt roads being common outside major cities. This underinvestment in road infrastructure led to a growing demand for air travel and public transport.
While the Soviet Union had developed its own aircraft, such as the U-2, PS-9, and K-5, routes were limited. Flights connected major cities like Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Kharkov, Odessa, Leningrad, and Kiev. Reaching Vladivostok or Yakutsk required stopovers.
Despite some improvements to airports such as Sheremetyevo, the transport sector in the USSR continued to face challenges due to outdated infrastructure and a lack of modernisation. The demand for transport infrastructure and services was rising, but the Soviet authorities struggled to keep up with the growing demands of the people.
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Buying tickets
During the Soviet era, Aeroflot, the national airline and civil air fleet of the USSR, had a monopoly on all air transport. It was formed in 1932 and was the largest civil aviation industry in the world.
Tickets were sold at special air travel terminals, and getting a ticket to a popular destination was not always easy. Some passengers remember air travel in the Soviet Union as being associated with endless queues for tickets. Until the 1970s, plane tickets could be bought without a passport and were not issued with a particular name. Passengers were only required to produce an ID when checking in at the airport. In Moscow, check-in could be done at the airport or at a special air terminal in the city, from where express buses transported passengers to the airport.
Aeroflot's inefficiencies plagued it until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. This was due to outdated infrastructure, lack of investment, corruption, and bad decision-making by the central authorities. Demand for transport infrastructure and services was rising, but the Soviet authorities could not meet the growing demand.
Today, it is possible to buy plane tickets for domestic flights within Russia from official airline websites. However, payment may need to be made with a Russian card, and some sources suggest that it is not possible to pay with a Western bank card.
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$8.99
International flights
The first terminal, Sheremetyevo-1, was opened in 1964 and was known for its "flying-saucer"-like design, earning it the nickname "shot glass" from locals. A second runway was constructed in the early 1970s, and the airport's second terminal, Sheremetyevo-2 (later renamed Terminal F), was opened in 1980 ahead of the Moscow Summer Olympics. Terminal F was designed to service 6 million passengers per year and was the only terminal that serviced international flights until the completion of Terminal C.
Terminal C was opened in 2007 to service international charter flights, serving 5-6 million passengers before being closed in 2017 for redevelopment. The first section of the new Terminal C opened in January 2020, with a planned capacity of 20 million passengers, and some international flights were transferred to the new terminal.
Despite the growth of international air travel to the USSR, the country's civil aviation industry was plagued by inefficiencies, including outdated infrastructure and a lack of investment. By the 1980s, most airports were experiencing capacity problems, with Lviv airport, for example, having to cope with an average of 840 passengers per day, despite being built to handle only 200. Sheremetyevo was the only fully computerised airport in the USSR.
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Frequently asked questions
The Soviet Union had 7,192 airports, 1,163 of which had paved surfaces.
Aeroflot was the national airline and air service of the USSR. It was founded in 1932 and held a monopoly on all air transport in the Soviet Union.
By the 1980s, most airports were facing capacity problems. For example, Lviv airport had to cope with an average of 840 passengers each day, despite being built to handle 200. Another issue was a lack of modernisation, with Sheremetyevo International Airport (Moscow's main airport) being the only airport in the USSR to be fully computerised.
Yes, there were a variety of modes of transport in the USSR by land, water and air. However, the road network was underdeveloped, with dirt roads common outside major cities. Rail transport was more prominent, with domestic rail playing a bigger role in the Soviet economy than road transport.
Yes, several aspects of the transport sector were affected by problems due to outdated infrastructure, lack of investment, corruption and bad decision-making by the central authorities. This led to inefficiencies in the civil aviation industry, which was the largest in the world.
