The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has announced it will intensify its oversight of water and food prices at Moscow`s airports, prompted by recent reports of significant price hikes.
The FAS press service highlighted the unacceptability of unjustified price increases for bottled water and food items in airports. It stated that the Moscow and Moscow Region branches of the FAS have been instructed to strengthen controls due to information on sharp price surges for these products at the capital`s airports.
The agency clarified that it had previously received complaints regarding unreasonably inflated prices for food products, including drinking water, at retail outlets and catering establishments in departure zones.
Situation at Sheremetyevo Airport.
Currently, the service is also analyzing the situation in 28 Russian regions with airports serving over one million passengers annually. The FAS has directed its regional offices to scrutinize the pricing policies of organizations holding dominant positions in these markets.
Furthermore, the Moscow FAS previously inspected retail points at Vnukovo Airport, uncovering a substantial overpricing of bottled drinking water compared to its market value. Consequently, two antitrust cases were initiated against “Regstaer-M” LLC, the operator of duty-free and duty-paid shops.
Passengers awaiting flights.
This increased scrutiny comes amidst recent temporary flight restrictions imposed at airports in Central Russia, particularly over the past weekend. During this period, Moscow aviation hub airports temporarily suspended operations multiple times, leading to widespread flight delays and cancellations. As of Monday, the airports have resumed normal operations, and airlines are working to stabilize schedules, but the disruptions likely exacerbated passenger reliance on airport services.
