Aeroflot CEO Confirms Bill on Overbooking Regulation

Confirmation of the Overbooking Bill

The CEO of the airline Aeroflot officially confirmed that the bill regulating the practice of overbooking in Russian air transportation has received approval. This initiative aims to limit the number of passengers denied boarding due to ticket overselling and introduce a compensation mechanism. The bill is planned for consideration in the State Duma this year to strengthen passenger rights protection.

Support for such a bill from the country’s largest carrier, Aeroflot, highlights the issue’s importance for the entire industry. In 2025, Aeroflot transported over 40 million passengers, and regulating overbooking will reduce the risk of conflicts and improve service quality amid growing competition.

Limiting Denials in Overbooking

According to the draft law, Russian airlines will have a cap on the number of passengers refused boarding due to overbooking. This limit means that the number of denied boardings cannot exceed a certain percentage of the total tickets sold on a specific flight. It is expected that this figure will not exceed 2-3%, helping to avoid mass refusals and ensuring more stable operations for carriers.

Introducing this limit will affect flight planning and ticket sales, forcing airlines to approach overbooking practices more responsibly. Currently, Russia lacks clear regulation on this issue, which sometimes leads to conflicts and lawsuits from passengers.

Compensation and Passenger Rights

The bill provides for mandatory compensation to passengers denied boarding due to overbooking. The compensation amount will be comparable to European standards, where payments can reach several thousand rubles depending on delay duration and route. This innovation should encourage airlines to improve boarding organization and reduce refusal incidents.

Passenger rights protection in Russia has long needed strengthening, especially amid rising flight numbers and passenger traffic growth. Compensation rules will also include options for free ticket rebooking or provision of alternative flights, significantly boosting trust in airlines.

Impact on the Aviation Market and Carriers

Regulating overbooking will significantly affect the business model of Russian airlines. Aeroflot, as the market leader, is already adapting its internal processes to meet the new requirements. At the end of 2025, the company’s revenue exceeded 700 billion rubles, enabling investments in service quality improvements and new ticket sales management technologies.

Other major carriers, including S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines, are also preparing for these changes. The bill is expected to increase market transparency and competitiveness while reducing incidents related to boarding refusals, positively affecting the industry’s reputation overall.

Outlook and Adoption Timeline

The overbooking bill is currently under approval and is expected to be reviewed in the State Duma in the third quarter of 2026. Once approved, the document will come into force from early 2027, giving airlines time to prepare and adapt.

Implementing the law will be a key step in developing Russian civil aviation, balancing the interests of carriers and passengers. It is anticipated that in the long term, this will enhance trust in air travel and improve service quality on both domestic and international routes.

Conclusion: The bill regulating overbooking in Russia will gain support from key market players and become an important measure for protecting passenger rights and improving the quality of air transportation.