The Chisinau International Airport increased the number of flights operated by it to 26, by including new flights to Surgut (Russia), Sochi (Russia) and München (Germany). At the same time, more airlines will provide flights to Bucharest and Antalya, Info-Prim Neo reports. Flights to München will be operated every day, to Sochi - two times a week, while to Surgut – once a week. 'The Chisinau-Surgut flight was introduced on a trial basis. The passengers are allowed to have special baggage, including fruit and vegetables,” the airport's director general Roman Podkorytov told a news conference on Friday. The persons who want to transport fruit and vegetables can negotiate with UTair, which operates the flights to Surgut. Roman Podkorytov said the number of airlines that will provide flights to older destinations was increased. Turkish Airlines and Aflaset will operate flights to Antalya (Turkey). “We hope the stiffer competition will result in lower prices,” he said, adding that Aflaset now offers the lowest airfares. Three companies will operate flights to Bucharest – Tarom, Air Moldova and Airbus. The lowest tickets are now provided by Tarom. Roman Podkorytov admitted that the airfares for the flights operated from Moldova are the highest in Europe owing to the large taxes. For example, a one-way ticket to Istanbul costs €79, plus the tax for fuel of €54, the tax for reserving the ticket of €9, the airport taxes of €23.9, and the tax for the destination point of €11. Thus, the price of the ticket amounts to €257.02. “The airport has to charge a tax of €9 for modernization, with which the loan to the EBRD is paid. The company does not receive subsidies from the state so that we manage on our own us,” Roman Podkorytov said, when asked why the airport taxes are so high. According to the director general, the representatives of the Moldovan communities abroad make up 50% of the passengers.