Khrabrovo Airport revives little Kaliningrad’s big hub aspirations

Every so often an unlikely small air transport hub appears somewhere. That happened in the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad 15 years ago, courtesy of the innovative airline KD-Avia, which sought to connect large swathes of Russia with Europe through Khrabrovo Airport. It did not last for long, as the airline succumbed to financial pressures.

Two years ago the Khrabrovo management examined recreating that hub with LCCs like Pobeda, but it didn't work.

Now, mindful of St Petersburg Pulkovo Airport's success at securing a seventh freedom operating environment there, Khrabrovo seeks to have one of its own, which could lead to self-connecting hub passengers growing by default.